CITER Annual Scientific Meeting 2017
22 September 2017
The Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) 2017 took place between 18 - 19 September at the Business School Postgraduate Teaching Centre. The meeting was open to all Cardiff University members including Academics, early career researchers, MSc students and PhD students.
The ASM gave CITER members an opportunity to network and discuss the latest research findings in the areas of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and repair, rehabilitation, imaging, bio-systems and modelling.
There was a full and varied programme over the two days. It included our early career researchers and PhD students delivering presentations on their research. Longer presentations were made from the many young researchers who have previously been successful in obtaining CITER Bursaries together with the 2017 successful awardee for the Young Investigator Award. Plenary speakers were invited; Dr Felicity Rose from The University of Nottingham who delivered a talk on 3D cell culture and Professor Sarah Cartmell from the University of Manchester who delivered a talk on bone tissue engineering.This gave members the opportunity to engage with professionals within their field.
Feed back from members include "excellent choices of external speakers"............."brilliant talks and good variety of topics"
Over the two days there were several poster sessions giving undergraduate summer placement students, PhD students and CITER MSc students in Tissue Engineering an opportunity to showcase their research findings and network. This was an invaluable opportunity for our students. An extended poster session took place on the first day with canapés followed by a welsh themed banquet evening dinner in the prestigious banqueting hall at Cardiff Castle. The evening had a welsh flavour with folk entertainment, a harpist and staff dressed in traditional welsh costumes.
An open-house outreach activity session took place to showcase CITER's engagement activities which are delivered to local primary schools and at public events (for more information please contact citer@cardiff.ac.uk) . These included amongst others; the “operation man”, “maggot racing”, the “giant brain dome” and the new “gooey blast-a-biofilm”. This gave colleagues an opportunity to have a hands on approach with CITER's acitivites and meet our members informally.
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Inflatable "brain dome"
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CITER members participating in the "maggot racing" outreach activity
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The newly refurbished CITER "operation man" outreach activity
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"Gooey blast-a-biofilm" outreach activity
Following the presentations and poster sessions participants were selected for best poster and best presentation prize to recognise their hard work. This years best poster was awarded to Carmine Varrichio and the best presentation was awarded to both Glyn Morris and Elen Everett. The Young Investigator 2017 award was presented to Dr Emma Yhnell for her outstanding research. Emma's primary research focus is Huntington's Disease and her current research uses "computer based cognitive training to provide a personalised therapeutic intervention for people with Huntingtons disease".
Overall the meeting was a success and attendees enjoyed the two day programme; particularly having the opportunity to network with colleagues and to increase their awareness of research within the network. CITER would like to thank the plenary speakers for their time and Jellagen Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Welsh Blood Service for sponsoring the event. We look forward to the next CITER event! Please keep checking our events page.