MDC hosts first workshop for Young Muscle Scientist Network

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign held a one day workshop last month for young scientists working on projects currently funded by the charity. The workshop brought together the next generation of muscle scientists and gave them an opportunity to network, present their work to their peers and to find out more about the charity.

The young scientists, many from countries other than the UK, are mainly PhD students and postdoctoral researchers who work within a bigger research group. It is usually their “bosses”, the group leaders, who approach the charity to ask for research support, so these young scientists may have only a “misty” knowledge and understanding of the charity’s work. And although they are a hardworking crowd in the laboratory, with a substantial contribution towards “pushing the borders of science forward”, they may have never met a person with muscular dystrophy or an allied muscle disease.

The day was tightly packed with talks from representatives of the charity and the young scientists themselves. Professor Alan Emery, the Vice President of the charity, gave a truly inspirational talk based on his experience in the field of muscle disease over the last 40 years. A presentation by Lee Ann Coleman, Deputy Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), took the scientists through the process of making a grant application and was very well received.

The scientists had the opportunity to find out more about the impact of muscle disease thanks to Tania Hore. Tania, who has limb girdle muscular dystrophy, gave a frank and moving account of her experiences, from the time of diagnosis through to how the condition affects her life on a daily basis. After her talk Tania was happy to answer questions and the Young Scientists seized the opportunity to find out more about the challenges presented by the condition they are trying to cure.

The afternoon session focused on the research carried out by the young scientists themselves who were each given a 15 min slot to present their work. The meeting concluded in the late afternoon with an invitation to attend a local restaurant for dinner and drinks. It provided an excellent opportunity for the young scientists to get to know each other informally and to pursue any questions they may have had relating to the topics of discussion during the day.

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is very grateful to Wyeth for fully funding the meeting and as a result of its success the charity intends to make the meeting a regular event.












Some comments about the day

“The presentation regarding the grant application process was extremely useful.”
Matilde Laurá, Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, London

“I thought it was nice to hear a key player in the field give the initial talk. And it was very interesting to hear from a patient as, sadly, non-clinical scientists very rarely get to actually meet someone with the disorder they are working on.”
Rebecca Fairclough, Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University

“I did like the fact that the talks were pitched at a slightly more lay audience, so it was easy to follow subjects far from our own topic.”
Virginia Arechavala, The Dubowitz Neuromuscular Unit, Hammersmith Hospital

“I found it really interesting and learnt many things about what others in the field of muscle disease field are working on. I also enjoyed the challenge of presenting my work to a mixed audience.”
Richard G Webster, Neurosciences Group, Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford

"It was a pleasure to speak at the Young Scientist Muscle Network. So often those newest to the field do not have the opportunity to attend scientific conferences, so it is a credit to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign that they recognised their value and importance to the continued success of research. The workshop did wonderfully well to bring so many young minds together, informing them about the charity and educating them about how to secure funding for projects. The opportunity for them to share their work and network with their peers would have been particularly valuable. I sincerely hope the event becomes a regular feature in the calendar and that the Charity continues to cater for the community's best interests and thirst for knowledge."
Professor Alan Emery, Vice President, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign

“As a scientist I understand how easy it can be to lose focus on the wider implications of the work you are conducting, but how valuable, motivating and relevant this perspective can be. I was delighted that so many young scientists were as enthusiastic about this day as I was and I thoroughly enjoyed hosting the event. I am hoping to build on its success by incorporating suggestions from attendees to improve it in the coming years. My sincere thanks go to Wyeth whose funding made the workshop possible.”
Dr Marita Pohlschmidt, Director of Research, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign