AAPG on Medical Research Summer Reception 2010
The MRC took part in the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Medical Research Summer Reception at the House of Commons on Monday 19 July 2010.
The event highlighted the UK’s excellence in research to a parliamentary audience; 22 projects were showcased at the event including two MRC-funded studies on a screening test that reduces the risk of developing bowel cancer and a cooling treatment to combat the brain-damaging effects of oxygen starvation at birth.
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts spoke at the event where he noted the quality of the UK science base and the clear health and economic benefits of research. He also praised the collaborative nature of the sector.
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts speaking at the APPG on Medical Research Summer Reception
To commemorate the event, a booklet containing summaries of the 22 research projects was produced. The projects span the breadth of the research process – from underpinning science to applied and translational research, large-scale epidemiological studies, and major infrastructure projects to build capacity and support skilled scientists. Willetts praised the multidisciplinary projects detailed in the booklet and suggested a copy was passed to the Treasury to highlight the impacts arising from the medical research sector.
Download a copy of the APPG on Medical Research Summer Reception booklet.
Leading figures from medical research charities and publicly-funded organisations attended the event, together with 29 MPs and 17 peers.
Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Chief Executive, Medical Research Council, said:
“Medical Research Council-funded discoveries have led to some of the most important advances in medical knowledge of the last 100 years. We are acutely aware of our duty as a publicly-funded body to do everything in our power to fund excellent research and deliver results that will improve the public’s health. Today’s event is a clear example of how research funders across all sectors can come together and work towards expanding the UK research base and providing a sustainable framework that inspires long-term confidence in UK research.”
MRC-funded scientists Professor David Edwards of the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Professor Wendy Atkin of Imperial College London at the APPG event
The APPG on Medical Research provides a network for parliamentarians with an interest in medical research and is supported by the MRC, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the Wellcome Trust. The group is chaired by Labour peer Lord Turnberg of Cheadle.