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2008 Roman Lecturer
Prof Eric Kilpatrick
Consultant Biochemist, Hull Royal Infirmary
Professor of Biochemistry, Hull York Medical School
"Research on a Shoestring"
| Tour Dates Melbourne July 15 Adelaide July 17 Perth July 18 Brisbane July 22 Christchurch July 24 Sydney July 29 |
Research on a Shoestring
Research within Clinical Biochemistry is at a crossroads. Indeed, there is currently a degree of navel gazing about what the future academic direction for our profession should be.
Research within Clinical Biochemistry is at a crossroads. Indeed, there is currently a degree of navel gazing about what the future academic direction for our profession should be.
However, our speciality is distinctive in many ways: it occupies a unique position in medicine at the interface between laboratory testing and clinical diagnosis; we have a closer understanding of the concepts and limitations of diagnostic testing than most others in medicine; we have a history of being at the forefront of using IT within healthcare; we are also probably a self-selected group whose abilities include being able to rigorously evaluate complex sets of data and then to draw conclusions.
Taken together, these talents means our discipline should be integral to the development of ‘evidence-based’ medicine and be central in converting research findings into clinical practice, as is now called ‘translational research’. With some lateral thinking we can also help answer some of the fundamental questions related to Clinical Biochemistry and within the many specialities with whom we liaise.
This year’s Roman Lecture hopes to show how anyone, whether in an academic centre or not, can make valuable research contributions to Clinical Biochemistry without having to assume they need large funding beforehand. Rather, they just need an inquisitive mind and an enjoyment of the speciality.
Extra Information
Prof Eric Kilpatrick