Discovering new medicines through the medium of Welsh

The Welsh language is playing a central role in the research into new medicines in Cardiff.

Half of the staff at the Medicines Discovery Institute at Cardiff University are Welsh speakers or are learning Welsh, bringing the Welsh language to the heart of drug discovery in Wales.

Professor Simon Ward, Director of the Medicines Discovery Institute, said: “As the only medicines discovery centre of its kind in Wales, it’s important to us to have a strong Welsh identity and nurture the Welsh language in our Institute.

“Since our Institute’s launch, we have been keen to create an environment that allows scientists who speak Welsh to practice their research in their first language, as well as support those who would like to learn Welsh or improve their language skills.

“Half of the staff at the Medicines Discovery Institute are Welsh speakers or are now learning Welsh.

“We have a postgraduate student completing their PhD in the medium of Welsh, who has been appointed by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol as one of their postgraduate ambassadors, tasked to help develop the Welsh language postgraduate community in Wales and beyond.

“Our new learners, or those who want to improve their skills, attend our Welsh catch up sessions, where they can practice and learn from each other. This gives us an opportunity to bring together Welsh language speakers of all levels together to talk about our research.

“As a Welsh speaker myself, it is fantastic to see so many in our Institute engaging with the language and wanting to learn. As a drug discovery Institute based in the heart of Wales’ capital city, it was vital to us that the Welsh language was central in our research.”