Hundreds of scientists gather in Edinburgh for the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum
The Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum (MLSFF) ran at Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from March 23 to 25.
The inspirational event attracted almost 500 delegates from 16 countries, 42 exhibitors and represented 128 institutions. Researchers submitted more than 232 abstracts summarising their research progress and findings.
One of the most emotional moments was a moving tribute to the late Professor Sir Geoff Palmer by Professor Steve McLaughlin, Vice-Principal and Provost, Heriot-Watt University. Professor Palmer was a Jamaican-British academic and human rights activist who was professor emeritus in the School of Life Sciences at Heriot-Watt University. His academic work saw him invent the barley abrasion process - which involves deliberately damaging the protective husk of grains to speed up the process of malting - and he became Scotland's first black professor in 1989.
Scientists shared fascinating studies, including research with potential for anti-cancer treatments, therapies that could one day help healthcare systems tackle antimicrobial resistance, with everything from the use of mushroom extracts to tackle Alzheimer’s disease to the potential for bacteria to break down waste cooking oil.
Professor Emmanuel Adukwu, Chair of the MLSFF Steering Committee, said he was truly impressed and humbled by the excellence that he had witnessed.
“We’ve had fantastic keynote speakers, plenary sessions, professional development workshops, posters and the exhibition and every single aspect has been inspiring,” he said.
“A major highlight for me has been the excellence demonstrated by our students and early career community in their talks, presentations and networking and I am confident that they will lead the charge to make the life sciences truly inclusive and welcoming for all.”
Keynote speakers included writer, broadcaster and public health expert Professor Devi Sridhar of the University of Edinburgh; Professor Robert Mokaya, Provost & Deputy-Vice-Chancellor, University of Sheffield; and Dr Sarah Goler Solecki, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Engagement and Change Maker, Medical Research Council.
There were panel discussions including intriguing insights from Irene Hulede, Education Director, American Society for Microbiology; Dr Deborah Husbands, Associate Professor in Race and Sociocultural Psychology at the University of Westminster; Dr Hamied Haroon, Chair & Co-Director, National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN); and Alastair Lamb, Chief Operating Officer, Medical Research Council (MRC).
The conference offered more than 200 hours of inspiring talks, workshops, and mentoring sessions and was designed for life scientists at all career stages from undergraduate students to early-career researchers and senior academics. Fascinating discussions covered leadership in STEM, business leadership, fostering collaboration and driving change within organisations.
To find out more and sign up for updates, visit the Future Forum website at www.mlsfutureforum.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram (www.instagram.com/mlsfutureforum) and X (@MLSFutureForum) for the latest announcements.
