The Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR) celebrated Early Career researchers at its first annual symposium. Following on from the successful launch symposium, the IRR Symposium 2024 had a strong focus on PhDs, postdocs and new Group Leaders. The symposium incorporated the hotly contested Flash Talk, poster and IRR Innovation Competitions. Innovation The winner of the IRR Innovator 2024, and £5,000 research funding, was Dr Leonie Fingerhut, who presented her innovative idea to tackle sight-threatening immune reactions. The competition was run in partnership with Dr Andrew McBryde, from Edinburgh Innovations ITPA Translational Community. This year’s IRR Innovator finalists all showed a real enthusiasm for considering how their research could be translated into real world solutions. They gave compelling pitches impressing the judges with their clarity and vision for developing early stage innovative ideas. We are very grateful to Syncona and Argenx for sponsoring this year’s competition. Dr Andrew McBryde The competition was judged by a panel of industry experts, including former winner Dr Sofia Ferriera and representatives from competition sponsors Syncona and Argenx. The competition’s three other finalists represented students, technical staff and postdocs, showing the breadth of talent at all levels of the Institute. Two of the finalists are graduates of IRRs MScR Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Repair programme. Patient engagement The importance of engaging with those with lived experience of the diseases we study was highlighted in an inspirational Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) panel session where we heard from CMVM PPI Lead Carol Porteous, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group Leader Gwo-Tzer Ho and patient partner Molly Halligan. Each reflected on the importance and mutual benefit of engaging those with lived experience of disease. Career reflections The symposium keynote was Professor Andrew Horne, newly appointed Director of the Centre for Reproductive Health. Andrew gave an overview of his career researchingreproductive health, “from discovery to impact”, He acknowledged some of the highs and lows he experienced along the way, providing a masterclass on resilience and persistence for those just starting out on their careers. Poster and presentation winners Throughout the day researchers from across the instate presented posters of their work. A panel of Early Career judges voted Jamie Scott as the winner with Nadiah Ikhlas, Varsha Jain and Julia van de Korput as runners-up. All the presentations were of a very high standard but the delegates voted Dr Lizi Hegarty winner of the Flash Talk competition, for her presentation “The salivary gland macrophage niche post radiation injury - a really dry subject”. Image Poster prize winners Nadiah Ikhlas, Varsha Jain, Jamie Scott (First prize) and Julia van de Korput with Stuart Forbes (Right)\n Image Dr Andrew McBryde, IRR Innovator 2024 winner Dr Leonie Fingerhut (Left). Professor Stuart Forbes and Flash Talk winner Dr Lizi Hegarty (Right) This article was published on 2024-07-08
