History Stands

Aaah the joys of half term and in-service days. The roads are clear and the parking is easy! There is an air of relative calm in Glasgow today, even if the sight of a flat-bed with the City Christmas lights on the back, augurs of the commercial frenzy that is about to descend upon us.

This air of tranquility seems to chime with the presentations of the four leading life science entreprenuers who spoke at the Nexxus Entrepreneurial Academic evening on Wednesday. Chris (Hillier), Andrew (Mearns-Spragg), David (Bunton) and Marie-Claire (Parker) all displayed composure under fire, however their back stories revealed the tensions and the pressures that have led them to be such models of success. This was truly a five-star event.

At the opposite end of the success spectrum (at least for the time being) is Blackberry/RIM. Any of you with teenage kids will recognise the angst that has been created as email accounts and BBM fallen under the tsunami of collapsing infrastructure. Networks (physical and virtual) have become such a major part of everyone’s life. Looks as though iPhone 4G is at number one (with a bullet) as the Christmas must-have.

One network that works and continues to thrive and grow is Nexxus. Our keynote events – the annual East/West awards – will be on 3rd and 16th November this year and we are extremely pleased to have Professors Sir Ian Wilmut and Sir Kenneth Calman as our keynote speakers. So sign up at www.nexxusscotland.com – tickets are going fast.

Before signing off I would like you to endulge me and my passion for running (knee/arm/hand permitting!). Firstly, there was the sad but funny tale of the Keilder marathon ‘runner’ who took the bus at mile 20 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-15277618) – not just to get get to the finish but to claim third place! Secondly there is the disgraceful decision of the IAAF to recind Paula Radcliffe’s magnificent womens world marathon record time, 2h15m25s, because it was done in a male/female race – she will still be the world record holder but the time will now be 2h17m42s that she did in London in 2005. A record is a record and success is timeless and the same is true for the pioneers and entrepreneurs in Scottish bioscience – you cannot uninvent something.

As Paula’s twitter campaign proclaims History Stands – please sign up and show your support #historystands

Citizen Scientist

Last week was interesting with its a focus on (life) science engagement.

It started with a meeting of the advisory committee on the Bodyworks Exhibition at the Glasgow Science Centre. The team at the GSC have a long an excellent track record in promoting and explaining the importance of science in all our lives and this Bodyworks will without doubt see this continue.

On Tuesday I joined Holyrood Magazine’s health brieifing on tackling Scotland’s record on Heart Disease. It is often easy to forget that the focus on what we do in life sciences is not the technology but the person. Michael Matheson MSP (Minister for Public Health) and Dr Richard Simpson MSP (Shadow Minister for Public Health) did a great job in setting the policy context but it was the people from the patient groups that really got the message home.

Thursday saw another trip to the Science Centre, this time to attend a meeting of a European project (PLACES) which is addressing the issue that the interaction between science, politics and citizens is frequently insufficient and sometimes non-existent. The big challenge that came from the debate was how to engage the citizen in science. There has been excellent work done, through initiatives such as STEM Ambassadors, to engage with the school population. However, many of the adult population fail to see the relevance and value of science to their lives. This situation is often exacerbated by the dearth of politicians and members of the media with a backrgound in science.