How the Microbiology Society is helping to support networking and collaborative opportunities between clinical and non-clinical researchers
“In the COVID19 and AMR era it is increasingly important to ensure accurate knowledge exchange across the Infection Sciences.” Tina Joshi,
Federation of Infection Societies (FIS).
Membership organisations like the Microbiology Society have a key role to play to support collaboration between researchers studying basic microbiology and those working in more clinical and public health areas.
In recent years the Society has worked hard to understand the ways it could support the infection science community, in order to develop activities and provide networking and collaborative opportunities for the wider membership and those based within a clinical setting.
Notable activities within this field is the Microbiology Society’s partnership with the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS).
In 2019, the Society established a collaborative event with HIS entitled ‘Bridging the Clinical-Research Gap’. Accredited by RSB and RCPath the event is now in its third year, bringing together clinical and non-clinical researchers to join forces and improve the translation of infectious disease research for the benefit of patients.
Dr Karen Robinson Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham said of the event ‘…despite being a non-clinical academic researcher, I have been working in a mostly clinical department for many years. I am based in the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research
IPC Update
Centre and am very fortunate to have access to fantastic clinical facilities, along with a string team of research technicians and nurses. This support underpins most of my group’s research… here at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.’
Societies also have a role in ensuring inclusivity to enable multidisciplinary educational opportunities, especially for early career researchers and trainee scientists and doctors. Held annually, the Microbiology Society collaborates with HIS and the British Infection Association (BIA) to deliver a programme of infection-focused sessions for the Federation of Infection Societies (FIS) annual conference.
The Microbiology Society is hosting FIS this year, providing an opportunity for the Society’s main journal for clinical content, Journal of Medical Microbiology (JMM), to be the driving force behind the development of the scientific programme and welcome content to be published in the journal.
In addition to this, the Journal of Medical Microbiology hosts a free to attend monthly online JMM Seminar Series and is typically a one to two hour meeting. It is designed to showcase high quality and timely research, from laboratory research to clinical trials including bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology, from the journals’ key authors.
The growing success of these events delivered by the Microbiology Society in collaboration with HIS and other membership organisations highlights how discussions amongst the different clinical and non-clinical groups, showcases the many things they actually have in common.
2023 dates for your diary:
- Monthly: Journal of Medical
- Microbiology (JMM) Scientific
- Seminar Series
- 6 October: Bridging the Clinical Research Gap
- 14-15 November: Federation of Infection Societies
About:
Microbiology Society is a membership charity for scientists interested in microbes, their effects and their practical uses. It has a worldwide membership based in universities, industry, hospitals, research institutes, schools, and other organisations.
The Healthcare Infection Society is a membership charity with a network of over 1,300 experts working in the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections.
Vicky McCulloch
Head of Marketing and Development –
Microbiology Society
