Deborah Oakley

It’s the season of good cheer, and here at the MRC’s Clinical Sciences Centre (CSC) there’s been much to smile about as the year draws to a close.

Healthy hearts

Clinical Lecturer Antonio de Marvao won a poster competition at Imperial College’s annual Hounsfield Memorial Lecture for an academic poster on his research to create detailed 3D maps of the hearts of 1500 people.

He uses specialised MRI scans and the latest computer technology to map the precise shape and function of an individual’s heart. In a recent study, he showed that people with high blood pressure develop changes in their hearts even before symptoms appear. “This new research will enable doctors to recognise signs of heart disease at a much earlier stage than has previously been possible,” he said at the time.

The Hounsfield lecture draws together researchers in biomedical imaging and was delivered by Professor Jurgen Henning, from the University Medical Center Freiburg, in Germany. Henning is a chemist and medical physicist internationally renowned for his work as one of the pioneers of MRI for clinical diagnostics.

Watch de Marvao discuss his research

Frontiers of health

The Institute was presented with a glass trophy for ranking second out of the thirteen research facilities that took part in the MRC’s health check ‘MOT’.

CSC staff and students volunteered to take part in the MOT earlier this year, which assessed diet, stress and lung function. Individual results were collated to give a picture of the Institute’s collective health, and this was compared to the health of other research facilities. “We performed particularly well on blood pres sure, heart rate and hydration,” says Inesa Rozenman, one of the CSC’s three ‘Wellbeing Champions’.

The National Institute of Medical Research won first place, with the CSC being let down by its cholesterol readings. According to Inesa, it will be important to keep the Wolfston Café open and establish a healthy menu to help support people in managing their cholesterol levels.

She collected the prize with fellow Champion Shurene Bishop during an awards ceremony at MRC Head Office this month. Shurene says, “I have an interest in personal health and wellbeing, so I want to use this to help others.”

Ben Statton has also joined the wellbeing team. Together the Champions aim to build upon the success of the popular new yoga and meditation classes.

Equality and Diversity

Gabriela Ahmadi-Assalemi, who leads the CSC’s Computing Facility, received an MRC CEO award for being a diversity role model.

Ahmadi-Assalemi developed a 2015 calendar with Almut Caspary to celebrate equality and diversity, with each month profiling a scientist from around the world. The photographs for the calendar were provided by Hitesh Shah, an IT Support Analyst at the Institute, from his extensive photo library of his travels. Ahmadi-Assalemi also organised the creation of a collage with examples of everyday cultural activities that CSC scientists and staff routinely engage in to mark an international day for diversity, and to highlight that we live and work in a diverse environment.

“This fantastic event enables the employees and students to engage with each other and to learn more about the culture of others, and to celebrate and value those differences,” says Barbara Hehir, Human Resources Manager. “Gabriela has helped to created a dialogue and interest in diversity matters.”

The awards were presented by Sir John Savill, CEO of the MRC. Ahmadi-Assalemi won an i-Pad Air and a sponsored trip to a science conference.