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Category: Public Engagement

SfE BES 2018 Hits the Headlines

Published on 21/02/201901/03/2019 by Society for EndocrinologyLeave a comment

Each year at the Society’s annual conference clinicians, researchers and nurses in the field of endocrinology have the opportunity to present their work to the thousands of delegates in attendance.

This year was no different, with the cutting-edge science attracting global attention from mainstream and medical media. Over 400 original abstracts were submitted for presentation, and of those, we chose 6 abstracts to write press releases, covering subjects of great interest to journalists.

SfE BES blog

Media coverage of science presented was a great success worldwide. Listen in to a live BBC Radio Wales interview (at 55 minutes) with one of the study authors.

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Our Society Media Ambassadors were also very active providing expert commentary on some of the stories written by journalists, to improve the quality of reporting in the media.

Prominent endocrinologists who were presenting at the conference also helped us out by answering questions about their careers for our blog. This gave readers a real insight into what drives expert endocrinologists to be at the top of their field.

· Joseph Takahashi, expert on the genetic and molecular basis of circadian rhythms.

· Maria-Christina Zennaro, expert in the genetic mechanisms of aldosterone-related disorders.

· Stafford Lightman, expert on the regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.

· Matthew Simmonds, expert in pancreatic transplant genomics.

· Leanne Hodson, expert on metabolic physiology.

· Ursula Kaiser, expert in neuroendocrine regulation of puberty.

Interviews with expert endocrinologists generated 750 views in the first month they were posted, helping to inspire the next generation into the discipline.

Find out more about the work of Society Media Ambassadors, and how to become one.  You can also watch our video selection of ‘How do I’ sessions, workshops, plenaries and master classes from SfE BES 2018.

Categories Events, Public Engagement

Meet the Endocrinologist: Caroline Gorvin, expert in hormone receptor cellular physiology

Published on 04/09/2018 by Society for Endocrinology1 Comment

Meet the Endocrinologist: Caroline Gorvin, expert in hormone receptor cellular physiology

Dr Caroline Gorvin is an Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research Career Development Fellow at the University of Birmingham. Her research focusses on the trafficking and signalling of membrane proteins, particularly GPCRs and how impairments in these proteins and their signalling pathways contribute to endocrine disease. In this interview, Caroline tells us more about her research, involvement with the Society and her roles as convenor of the Society’s Bone and Calcium Endocrine Network.

Can you tell us what inspired you into research?

My year in industry, which I spent at AstraZeneca during my undergraduate degree, really changed my perspective on research. Prior to this, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do a PhD, but the experience of scientific research really ignited my interest in membrane proteins, which I have, in some way, continued to work. I accidentally became an endocrine researcher because of this initial interest in membrane proteins and receptors. I realised that genetic abnormalities in these proteins often manifest in endocrine disease, and that by studying these mutations we can learn fundamental concepts about cell behaviour that may help in the treatment of patients with endocrine disorders.

Can you tell us a little more about your current research?

In the last five years, my research has focussed on the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), which is a G-protein coupled receptor that has an important role in calcium homeostasis. The CaSR is a great receptor to work on because both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations cause disorders of calcium homeostasis, with opposite phenotypes. By studying these mutations in vitro we have been able to understand how individual residues play a role in receptor activation and mediate coupling to specific signalling pathways.

I have found my most recent research, focussed on how mutations in a subunit of the adaptor protein-2 cause hypercalcaemia really fascinating. We could never have predicted that a protein, which is known to play a fundamental role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, would be the cause of hypercalcaemia. By studying these mutations I was able to uncover novel signalling and trafficking mechanisms of the calcium-sensing receptor, which could represent new therapeutic targets. This project also gave me the opportunity to collaborate with lots of people, and learn new techniques, which to me are the most exciting parts of being in scientific research.

Over the last decade or so, what do you think have been the most impactful advances in this research area?

I think the technological advances in the last decade have really had the most impact on all scientific research. We can now rapidly introduce specific mutations into genes, sequence the whole genome in individual patients and visualise single molecules in cells. These advances have the potential to reveal minute details about cellular and whole organism physiology, expand our knowledge of disease mechanisms and fundamentally improve patient treatment options.

What do you think will be the next big or important breakthrough in bone and calcium research?

I think long-term regenerative medicine is probably the biggest goal in bone and calcium research. With an ageing population, skeletal disorders such as osteoporosis are increasing in prevalence. While we have good therapies to manage symptoms, new technologies offer the possibility of treatments with fewer side effects. Many advances have been made in this field in recent years, and with improvements in bioengineering and iPS cell technology, long-term bone regeneration is becoming a feasible possibility.

What do you think are the biggest challenges faced by researchers?

I think the biggest challenge all researchers face is funding. In endocrinology, where much of the research is into rare disorders, and therefore necessarily niche, it can be difficult to persuade big funding bodies of its importance. There seems to be a wider field of competition, for an ever-decreasing pot of money. Combined with the sometimes poor career advancement opportunities, particularly for basic science researchers, I think these difficulties pose the biggest challenges rather than research specific difficulties.

Are there any controversies in your research area? How do you think they will be resolved?

There are always controversies in any research area. Instead of creating hostility, these controversies should be used as an opportunity to debate and explore new ideas. One of the fantastic things about science is that we don’t know the answers. We should enjoy exploring differing opinions through debate and further research.

You were awarded a Society Public Engagement grant in 2017, why do you think it is important for scientists to get involved?

While many people realise that scientific research takes place, what this actually entails is largely unknown. By introducing people to our work in a fun and informative way, I think we can help make this clearer and gain more support for what we do. Public engagement is really important for science and is mutually beneficial. By encouraging participation we can attract the next generation of scientists, and by sharing our ideas with the public, we may gain new perspectives to enhance our future research.

What attracted you to becoming an Endocrine Network convenor, and how do you think the Networks may benefit others?

To be honest, I was nominated for the position, and hadn’t previously considered that such a position was open to someone relatively early in their career like myself. Initially, when I first started attending the SfE BES conference as a PhD student, it really felt like bone and calcium science was a neglected part of the meeting. This has been changing in the last five years or so, with more bone and calcium research on the oral programme – but I still think research, and collaborations within the field, could be promoted more and the network is good platform for this. One way in which myself and Jeremy Turner, my co-convenor for the network, have been trying to do this is by increasing communication within the network, and giving members the opportunity to say what they want from the network. The network has great potential to generate discussion and new collaborations between basic and clinical scientists – I guess we’ll see how successful this has been at this year’s SfE BES conference!

Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring endocrinology researchers?

I think the best advice for anyone in research is not to be too disheartened by failure. Just remember everyone in research will have had days where experiments failed, or had papers and grants rejected. We often don’t realise this as PhD students, but it is a valuable lesson that everyone should learn in their scientific career.

The Endocrine Networks are platforms for knowledge exchange and collaboration amongst basic and clinical researchers, clinical endocrinologists and endocrine nurses. The Networks enable members to discuss and find solutions to challenges within their specialist field.

To join an Endocrine Network login to the ‘My profile’ section of the Members’ Area and select ’Endocrine Networks’.

Categories Public Engagement

Guest blogger Gareth Leng: a conversation with himself

Published on 30/08/201803/09/2018 by Society for Endocrinology1 Comment

Gareth Leng is the Professor of Experimental Physiology in the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. His multidisciplinary research uses electrophysiology, molecular neuroanatomy, behaviour and computational modelling to investigate hypothalamic neuronal networks. He is particularly interested in pituitary hormones and in the regulation of appetite and obesity.

Prof Leng has just published a book: The Heart of the Brain; The Hormones of the Hypothalamus. In his guest blog, he explains how neuroendocrinologists see the brain differently and why he wrote the book…through a conversation with himself.

Gareth: So, congratulations etc., I’m sure it’s a wonderful book, but before we get to what it’s all about, why did you write it? – apart from fame and fortune, that is.

Gareth: Well (modestly) thanks etc. I’d always wanted to write a book – well, since I was 7. Finally I got the chance to see if I could.

Your students wouldn’t let you into the lab any more so you had some free time?

No. The University abhors a vacuum, and fills all available time with superficially reasonable but pointless demands. The chance came in finding something that I thought was worth saying…

…that you hadn’t said in your last 200 papers?

I hadn’t put it all together.

So, 200 papers without the draggy bits? Quite a short book then. What’s your message?

I wanted to write about what doing science was really like – to talk about the passion and the messiness and the confusions and the mistakes and the mixed messages…

…but not the draggy bits. What’s your message?

I wanted to contrast how neuroendocrinologists understand the brain with the conventional view of the brain as this super, smooth, efficient, dessicated, calculating machine with ten billion neurons and a trillion connections all pinging away.

What do neuroendocrinologists see in the brain that’s different?

Passion and messiness and confusions and mistakes and mixed messages.

That is interesting how exactly?

I don’t think it’s interesting that complicated calculating machines can be good at calculating. To me the challenge in neuroscience is to see how noisy, messy, error-prone systems, self-assembled with quite a lot of randomness, can do clever things, including things that complicated calculating machines are rubbish at.

How is that then? You are pretty noisy and messy yourself but…

A lot comes down to mixed messages. Neurons don’t use just one type of signal – they use many. Some, neurotransmitters, do signal precisely from one neuron to another. Others are local signals, affecting neighbouring cells either of the same type, or of other types, or both; they are signals that pass from one population of cells to another – these are autocrine or paracrine signals. Yet others are released from one population of neurons, spread to large parts of the brain through the extracellular space, and act at distant targets.

Hormones, then, brain hormones?

Exactly. We’ve thought of neuropeptides as another class of neurotransmitters. That’s nonsense. Like hormones they have a massive range of effects, not just on neurons, but on neurons they can have both organisational and activational effects, on gene expression and connectivity as well as on excitability. They can ‘re-program’ their targets in a context-dependent way.

For example – oxytocin as a wild left-field guess?

Yes, oxytocin is a good example. It’s not just released from the pituitary, it’s also released in the brain – but not mainly from nerve endings but from dendrites. That release is governed, not just by electrical activity, but also by peptides that trigger mobilisation of intracellular stores.

Like endocrine cells then?

Oxytocin cells are hybrids of neurons and endocrine cells. They are multifunctional in that the release from dendrites and axons can be regulated independently. They speak in different languages to different listeners.

And so they can do wonderful things…

Oh yes, like generate the synchronised bursts that trigger pulsatile oxytocin release in suckling

…and promote sexual behaviour – lordosis and penile erection?

Certainly.

…and maternal behaviour and bonding in monogamous species?

Apparently.

…and trust and hugs and cuddles…

Enough.

Just about oxytocin?

No, stress, reproduction, appetite and obesity, plasticity, rhythms, evolution…

How did you go about writing it?

Writing the book was for me a way of testing out whether the message held up – in that sense it is a conversation with myself.

Not like this then?

You’re quite right. No. An argument with myself.

Who did you write it for?

Myself really. I read a lot of science books…

…you start a lot of science books…

…and the ones that engage me handle the science seriously but get an interesting message across – they don’t just say stuff. I tried to write the sort of book that I might read to the end.

Have you read it to the end? What’s the last line?

“The hormones of the hypothalamus- the heart of the brain- […] are the signals of emotional salience, the links between our passions and our reason, the agents of our urges, our hopes, our fears – of the things that make us human.”

 

There are many different types of public engagement, including writing blogs or books on science for general audiences. The Society can help you find the right outlet for your science outreach talents. Visit our public engagement webpages for inspiration, opportunities and more information.

Categories Public Engagement

Meet the Endocrinologist: Dr Giles Yeo, expert in molecular control of energy balance in the brain

Published on 19/07/2018 by Society for EndocrinologyLeave a comment

Giles Yeo is a Principal Research Associate in the Metabolic Research Laboratories at the University of Cambridge, Director of Genomics/Transcriptomics for the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, and a convenor of the Society’s Neuroendocrinology Endocrine Network. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie central control of food intake and body weight.

What inspired you into endocrinology?

I got into neuroendocrinology entirely by accident. I am interested in obesity and I started out studying the genetics of obesity, which involved trying to understand how the brain responds to circulating cues, such as hormones, to regulate food intake. So, I think I am an accidental neuroendocrinologist. I trained as a geneticist under the supervision of Nobel prize winner Sydney Brenner, where I investigated the molecular evolution of complement in fugu, but I soon realised that this wasn’t the research that was going to attract big money, so I decided to transfer my expertise in molecular genetics to an emerging and exciting area – the role of leptin in energy homeostasis. Leptin had just been discovered and Stephen O’Rahilly needed a geneticist to help pin down its role controlling food intake in the brain.

Tell us a little more about your current research

I am currently interested in defining the neuronal networks of hypothalamic pathways using mouse models. We, and others in the field, are particularly interested in the melanocortin pathway. The main genetic players in this pathway were mapped in the late 90s but recent discoveries have reignited interest in this area. For example, together with colleagues Stephen O’Rahilly and Eleanor Raffan, we have identified a major genetic driver that explains why some Labradors are highly food driven, which has also revealed more complexity to the melanocortin-POMC pathway. I am also interested in using single cell RNA sequencing to characterize melanocortin neurons. It is really interesting that we are looking at a pathway that we thought we understood 20-25 years ago and making new discoveries.

What do you think are the biggest challenges in your field?

One major issue with neuroendocrinology, broadly, is the difficulty in accessing human brain tissue, for very obvious ethical reasons. So we use animal models to try and understand the neuroanatomy and physiology. As a result, many in the field have become very accomplished mouse neuroanatomists but I didn’t get into this business to cure mouse obesity! It is a huge challenge to identify the human relevance from these very finely manipulated and studied models.

 How do you think these challenges can be addressed in the future?

I am currently working with the Cambridge Brain Bank to get access to post-mortem human tissue to try to understand if some of the specialised neuronal populations and networks identified in mouse hypothalamus actually exist and function similarly in humans. Ultimately, we want to improve human health, so the key is to make sure that the research we do is truly relevant to the human condition.

New technologies, like inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be good models, as you are able to introduce specific genetic alterations. However these are only cell-based models, so don’t grow and develop as they would do in an intact brain. The function of a neuron is very dependent on its environment, where it projects to and what connects to it. Other scientists are working on growing a ‘mini-brain’ in a dish, which is still at the very early stages of development but could lead to better, more integrated models for research. To truly model the system we need a network model but that is extremely difficult.

Are there any controversies in neuroendocrinology? How do you think they will be resolved?

 More generally in endocrinology, I think there is a real argument for when is a hormone really a hormone? There are principles for the classification of hormones but new things that don’t really fit the criteria are often designated as hormones. For example, GDF15 was found to be a marker for all-cause mortality, which led to lots of experiments being conducted on different cell types that suggested that it could affect multiple pathways, in a hormone-like manner. However, further research showed that GDF15 actually signals only to a small subset of neurons in the hindbrain, although it may be secreted all over the body, this group of neurons was its effective target. Until you know what the receptor is, it is difficult to understand what a specific ‘hormone’ might be doing; you need to know more about the physiological function e.g. receptor specificity, effective concentration range, speed of effects, what terminates its action, etc. Before you call something a hormone you need a better idea of what it does.

Why did you become an Endocrine Network convenor, and how do you think it could benefit others?

I am passionate about promoting neuroendocrinology and I am the current president of the British Society for Neuroendocrinology, so I decided to also become a convenor of the Society’s Neuroendocrine Network, to help further highlight neuroendocrinology. There are probably a lot more neuroendocrinologists than they themselves realise. Any hormone that signals to the brain is, by definition, part of the neuroendocrine system; it may be the entire pathway or just part of it. We need to get the message out there – that if the hormone is active in the brain, you are involved in neuroendocrinology. I think the Endocrine Networks are a great of way of bringing scientists and clinicians with similar interests together, to promote debate and collaboration. I have also been working with Kevin Murphy & Barbara McGowan, convenors of the Metabolic and Obesity Network, to organise a joint meeting that brings obesity and neuroendocrinology together.

Can you tell us about how and why you got into TV?

Again, I got into this entirely by chance. A Channel 4 programme was looking for an expert to help with a short genetics of obesity segment, which went really well and led to me being invited to contribute to the BBC’s ‘What’s the right diet for you?’ series. As a result, I was asked to take part in a Q&A at Cheltenham Science Festival, which turned out to be really popular among the festival goers. Also, unknown to me, I had just had an unofficial audition. The BBC’s Horizon editor was in the audience and after seeing me on stage offered me my first Horizon show, ‘Why are you getting so fat?’ This was just a couple of years ago and since then I’ve done a show examining ‘Clean Eating’, and now I am a resident expert on the BBC’s ‘Trust me I’m a doctor’. Look out for another Horizon show on vitamins that I have coming up later in the year.

Of course, it doesn’t suit everyone’s temperament to stand up and talk in public or in front of a camera, but I really enjoy doing it. I think communicating science to non-experts is every scientists’ duty but they should choose the level and extent to which they want do it.

Why do you think it is important for scientists to get involved in outreach?

I think they have a responsibility to get involved for two reasons.

  1. As scientists we put a lot of time and effort into our research to get publications but we should remember that only a tiny fraction of the population will ever read anything published in a scientific journal. The rest of the population pay our salary, so we have a duty to feed back the information funded through taxation.
  2. In today’s post-truth environment, where people are allowed to be ‘passionately        ignorant’ through social media, any content can just be put out there with no editorial, no checks on quality or accuracy and this leads to public argument and disagreement.

A great example of this is the anti-vaxxer movement, which was based on a publication that has now been completely discredited and withdrawn, yet the movement persists. Climate change sceptics often point out that experts themselves disagree about whether or not humans are truly having a major role in climate change, even though the majority of scientific experts do agree that humans have a role in it.

However, when a non-expert views this situation they see two scientists arguing, which leads to what I think is the real toxicity; a perceived ‘expert’ saying something that is ‘BS’ but being given equal or more weight than the actual expert evidence or opinion.

It is also important to highlight to the general public that the scientific process involves debate and evidence. We are paid to argue with each other until we come to a consensus, and then we move on – that is how science works. So, if you happen to be a real expert in an area where there are people being ‘passionately ignorant’, you should speak up, or someone far less qualified than you will!

That’s why I think it is important for scientists to stand up for their science, and communicate their expertise. You don’t have to become a TV personality to do it, there are lots of ways, from becoming a media spokesperson for your university or academic Society, such as SfE’s Media Ambassadors, to attending science fairs, writing articles/blogs, speaking at schools, etc. There are loads of ways of doing public engagement for non-experts.

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring scientists?

You really have to love what you’re doing and be mindful of telling the truth all the time. I don’t want to sound like a fortune cookie, but if you become lax with the truth in this post-truth era, you are becoming part of the problem.

I also tell my students, “Be more of a pain in the ass to replace than to get rid of” because if you are really useful and don’t cause trouble, they will want to keep you around and you will have better career stability.

 

The Endocrine Networks are platforms for knowledge exchange and collaboration amongst basic and clinical researchers, clinical endocrinologists and endocrine nurses. The Networks enable members to discuss and find solutions to challenges within their specialist field.

To join an Endocrine Network login to the ‘My profile’ section of the Members’ Area and select ’Endocrine Networks’.

Categories Membership, Public Engagement, research, Top Tips

Meet the Endocrinologist: Dr Ali Abbara, neuroendocrinology expert and Society Media Ambassador

Published on 12/07/201824/07/2018 by Society for EndocrinologyLeave a comment

Dr Ali Abbara is Senior Clinical Lecturer in Endocrinology at Imperial College London. His work, mainly in the field of reproductive neuroendocrinology, focuses on studying the potential of kisspeptin in IVF treatment. Dr Abbara is also a Society Media Ambassador, and regularly helps national and international journalists to accurately frame their hormone-related stories in the media.  In this interview, Dr Abbara tells us more about his research, career, and role as Media Ambassador.

What inspired you into neuroendocrinology?

I was attracted to endocrinology as a specialty as it’s very much a thinking person’s specialty. In many ways, endocrinology operates at the higher echelons of Bloom’s taxonomy, being more about mechanism and comprehension, than retention of facts. In school, I was interested in maths and physics; these subjects, consonant with endocrinology, are based on understanding key principles, from which it is possible to decipher more ranging factual information. Neuroendocrinology is an interesting subspecialty for research, and it encompasses a fair degree of complexity. Deciphering the underlying principles that exist within this complexity is both challenging and stimulating.

Can you tell us a little about your work?

As part of my research, I have led clinical trials evaluating the potential of the novel reproductive hormone, kisspeptin, to safely mature oocytes during IVF treatment, and avoid a dangerous complication called ‘ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome’ (OHSS). Kisspeptin acts in the hypothalamus to stimulate the release of endogenous GnRH. Our trials have shown that kisspeptin is safer than current IVF treatments, even in women at markedly increased risk of OHSS. This work has been followed up by the pharmaceutical industry, to develop a kisspeptin analogue that can hopefully facilitate translation from bench to bedside. 

Over the last decade, what do you think have been the most useful advances in neuroendocrinology?

There is increasing appreciation for the role of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) as a hormone that is secreted by the ovary and stimulates GnRH pulsatility at the hypothalamus, rather than it merely being a marker of ovarian reserve. Although not yet included in the new international diagnostic criteria for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) -predominantly due to the lack of accurate assays in the past and no agreed international measuring standard- this is only a matter of time. Some researchers believe AMH to be key in the pathogenesis of PCOS, and there are a number of ongoing research avenues where AMH action is manipulated, which will be very informative.

What drove you to become a Society Media Ambassador?

Research studies are conducted for the benefit of patients. It is important that patients are made aware of the results of research, in which they may have taken part. Similarly, it is important that the public are informed about the results of publicly funded research.

Researchers are increasingly encouraged to demonstrate the impact of their work and disseminate their findings directly to the public via the media. While scientists are very aware of the need to avoid over-exaggeration of the implications of their research in academic publications, the media need to generate excitement about their articles in the short term. Thus, it is very important that media articles are peer-reviewed by researchers to ensure that any claims are ratified by the data, to put findings in context of the current literature, and ultimately, to not misinform the public.

A frequent example is that of cross-sectional surveys that measure a huge number of lifestyle and dietetic variables and then relate one of these to a treatment outcome. It is very difficult to robustly account for all possible confounders using such a study design – whilst it may be useful for hypothesis generation, a subsequent interventional study is required to confirm that the associations found are in fact causal. In such situations, reassuring the public of the need for caution before implementing advice based on these studies is an important public service.

An important step forward in this regard is the involvement of the public in all aspects of research, from the design stage through to dissemination of results, termed ‘patient and public involvement’. Co-producing statements for the press with a lay member of the research team can enable more accurate communication of research findings.

What do you think are the biggest challenges faced by endocrinology?

One of the great attractions of endocrinology lies in the intellectual challenge it brings. There is a risk that financial pressures faced by the health service could reduce the time available for endocrinologists to engage in the academic activities needed to advance the specialty. Thus, it is more critical than ever to ensure that job plans are designed to protect time for non-service provision endeavours -research, education, and service improvement- to ensure that our specialty continues to thrive.

Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring clinical endocrinologists?

Do seek out opportunities to get involved in research if possible, as it can equip you with important training in evaluating the scientific literature and practicing evidence-based medicine. We are all continuously exposed to data that we need to interpret correctly and use to make decisions. The skills acquired during research can readily be transferred to many other situations during your career, even if you do not ultimately choose to pursue an academic path.

Also, plan well ahead and speak to senior colleagues early to find out about upcoming opportunities, especially in research areas that are of interest to you. If they don’t have any opportunities at the time, they may well be able to direct you to someone who does.

Find out more about the work of Society Media Ambassadors, and how to become one. 

Categories Membership, Public Engagement, research

Meet the Endocrinologist: Dr Nigel Page, scientist, teacher and endocrinology champion

Published on 29/01/201829/01/2018 by Society for Endocrinology1 Comment

Meet Dr Nigel Page, Director of Learning and Teaching at the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy & Chemistry, Kingston University London. Nigel also dedicates his time to promoting endocrinology, both within his school as a Society Endocrine Ambassador, and outside as a Public Engagement Committee member. Such engagement with the Society could not go unnoticed, so we approached Nigel to ask him about his career and his enviable drive to nurture a passion for endocrinology in others.

Can you talk us through your first steps in endocrinology, and how you got to where you are now in your career?

After graduating in Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology), I completed my doctorate within the Department of Zoology at the University of Reading. My early research career was focussed on the development of transgenic birds and mice; and it was not until 1997 that I was properly introduced to endocrinology, when I undertook a postdoc in the laboratory of Phil Lowry. At the time, work in the laboratory was very much around corticotrophin releasing factor and its binding protein, and adrenal growth. However, a chance visit to the university by Isaac Manyonda, Consultant Obstetrician at St George’s Hospital, London, led to the development of a project that would push the lab, and also my career, in a new direction. Within two years, my project started to yield results that led to the proposal for a role of neurokinin B in pre-eclampsia, the discovery of endokinins and their gene-related peptides, and pregnancy associated plasma protein-A2/E and its splice variants. These were exciting times that coincided with the human genome project nearing completion. Routine bioinformatics was just at the cusp – many researchers were still nervous of it, so the thought of stepping outside of the wet lab and onto the computer for nine months was something unheard of. Subsequently, I spent a lot of time exploring placental cDNA sequences of the fledgling tentative human consensus sequence databases. Phil Lowry used to say that research tends to be cyclic, moving from molecular biology of genes to whole organism physiology and back again – and he was right. It was not long before I realised that being an endocrinologist also required developing my skills in protein purification, chromatography, immunoassays, ligand binding and cell signalling.

In 2006, I was appointed Senior Lecturer at Kingston University London. There, I took much of my first-hand experience to the forefront of my undergraduate teaching, in areas such as the hormonal control of metabolism, protein purification and bioinformatics. My main research area remains in reproductive endocrinology, where I have maintained a small research group and continue to work on gestational disease looking at variations in mRNA splicing, precursor processing and posttranslational modifications of placental peptide hormones. Since 2014, I have been an associate professor, and more recently I have been appointed Director of Learning and Teaching for the School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Pharmacy (at Kingston), a role that has also led me to participate in a range of pedagogic research projects.

What in your working life makes you happiest?

“I am lucky to have a role that combines both research and teaching. Some of my happiest career moments are those that start with informal chats about research with my students, and lead to a genuine passion and thirst for them to learn more.” – Dr. Nigel Page

I am passionate about creating inclusive scientific communities – I conceived my School’s ‘Discover Research’ fayre, where our undergraduate students get to meet and interact with our research teams. I also had the pleasure of organising and running the Royal Society of Biology’s HUBS Workshop, on implementing inclusive learning and teaching in the biosciences. When it comes to my research, I get most passionate about deciphering the reasons for the differential processing of hormone precursors in different health states, and the determination of the role of posttranslational modifications. Also, from recent collaborative work with parasites, I would like to understand more about the role of endocrine interactions in the host-parasite relationship.

What do you find most fulfilling about being an Endocrine Ambassador?

For many years I was the informal contact for the Society at Kingston, and encouraging new members to engage with the Society was a big part of that. One year, I even received the Society’s accolade for recruiting the most number of new members, as well as helping to recruit some of the first students to the Society’s Student Ambassadors Scheme! So, when the opportunity came along to become an official Endocrine Ambassador and champion endocrinology within my institution, I took it. Kingston has several interdisciplinary research groups, including those involved in diabetes, cancer, drug discovery and delivery, sports science, and nutrition. With the funding opportunities offered to Endocrine Ambassadors, we could organise an event to bring together many of the different flavours of our endocrinology community. Our invited keynote speaker was Gary Frost from Imperial College, who presented on ‘Fermentable carbohydrate-driven appetite regulation in the brain’, and the event was a great success. Overall, being an Ambassador has certainly afforded me the opportunity to get more people involved, stimulate debate, and hopefully convince a few more people of the benefits of being part of the endocrinology community via the Society.

students
Kingston University’s students engaging with the Society’s stand during an event organised by Nigel with Endocrine Ambassador funding

Can you tell us about your involvement with public engagement?

In terms of public engagement, having media exposure of one’s own endocrine work came as part and parcel of having worked in Phil Lowry’s laboratory – I still remember the days when BBC and ITV camera crews used to turn up to the lab! Nonetheless, this was not the reason that drew me to being part of the Society’s Public Engagement Committee. Like many academics, I actively participate and engage with a variety of activities in schools and colleges to promote the biological sciences. I am also a STEM ambassador and work as my institutions’ STEM Insight placement co-ordinator, providing teachers with real-life knowledge and experience to bring careers to life in the classroom. But I also wanted to encourage my own students to have a more proactive engagement with their professional societies, and when I found out that the Society was seeking volunteers to take part in public engagement at a Big Bang Fair I jumped at the chance, also encouraging three of my students to come and participate. We all had a fantastic time – I was impressed and wanted to do more! Subsequently, I was nominated to the Public Engagement Committee. So far, my roles have included updating and editing You and Your Hormones, the public facing website of the Society, and reviewing potential press releases for the Society’s annual conference, SfE BES. For me, the most fulfilling part of it all is helping to create and develop new perspectives in public engagement that have a real impact on society.

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Kingston University’s students with the Society at a Big Bang fair

What have been your proudest professional experiences so far?

I am proud to have been at the forefront of some quite novel and exciting discoveries in endocrinology over the past few years, with publications in leading journals including Nature and Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. I also feel privileged to have worked with some very talented and inspiring scientists over the years.

If anyone had told me, in the earlier stages of my career when I lived life between short-term postdoc contracts, that I would be part of the senior management team running a large university department, I would never have believed them. Today, if you ask me about my proudest moments, I’d say they are seeing my students doing well, seeing the pride and joy on the faces of their family and friends at graduation, and being able to nurture the next stages of their career journeys.

Who do you admire most?

Not an easy question to answer – I have met so many people over the years that I have respect for, have learnt so much from, and who have shaped my values. Professionally, I do admire the competence and support of my colleagues, and the dedication and resilience of my students, in what must be tougher times than when I was at university.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

In 2008, I set myself the goal of travelling the whole of Britain by train, and I am currently about two thirds of the way to completing it. The only problem is that the bits I need to complete keep getting further away! Perhaps the location of SfE BES 2018 in Glasgow later this year will help with that…

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be?

One of my students recently told me that I should be an event manager, as I always appear to be organising things, but I would not swap that for a minute with the multifaceted role of being a university academic. On a more serious note – I nearly did pursue a graduate career in retail management, but my PhD mentor, Ken Simkiss, steered me back to science. For this I am truly grateful to him – I have never looked back since!

Do you want to inspire others to pursue endocrinology, too? Find out more about being a Society Endocrine Ambassador.

Categories Events, Membership, Public Engagement, research

The many faces of public engagement

Published on 18/08/201720/12/2017 by aidaherasLeave a comment

You’ve heard it before:

…The public have the right (and duty, some may say) to engage with science and medicine.

…Public engagement gives your work real-world context and a fresh perspective on what you do.

…If you are applying for funding, get ready to demonstrate your involvement with the public.

The many reasons why you should engage with the public have been listed and discussed plenty of times, so you already know what it’s about. You know it’s essential; you know it’s not just about communicating science, but about having a conversation; you know your audience has a voice and an active role to play – they’re not just spectators.

However, finding the time to dedicate to public engagement is no easy endeavour – even less so considering your already crammed schedule. Besides, interacting with school children and families at a science festival is not everybody’s cup of tea, and the risk of being forced into it can make your public engagement efforts become a ‘tick-box activity’.

But here’s the good news – public engagement comes in many more shapes than you may think. There’s a plethora of sometimes quirky, always wonderful initiatives out there to exemplify that engagement can take fascinating formats.

Even better news for those with overloaded schedules – sometimes it may be more effective to reach your audience remotely, which may allow more flexibility and make your life a little easier! In many cases your target audience won’t be the science fair type, after all, and picking the right medium to engage them is tightly related to the kind of audience they are. Ask yourself – how old are they? Where do they hang out, on- and off-line? What are their interests and motivations? What does their day-to-day life look like? Consideration of these factors is crucial before you embark on any public engagement journey!

Without further ado, here is a list of formats that showcase the many faces of public engagement…

Let your imagination be sparked!

  • At schools, colleges, community groups or science / family festivals. A well-known public engagement format for science and medicine, and no wonder – this can be a most gratifying way to participate. Contrary to what some think, people do want to know about your work and can be extremely engaged – you just need to find a way to tap into the curiosity of your particular audience.. Again, there is no one-size-fits-all. You could design an activity or inspire a crowd just by talking about your own journey in STEM and medicine.
  • At a music festival, your local mall, the pub or other unlikely places. By taking your activity to a place where people would not expect you can reach very different audiences, and can add an extra layer of fun to public engagement. Guerrilla Science managed to engage festival-goers at Glastonbury by challenging them to prove themselves smarter than a rat.
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Could the confectionery aisle be the best spot to deploy your new activity on diabetes and metabolism?
  • At your own workplace. Instead of taking your experience and activities elsewhere, you could invite people to take part in an immersive experience at your institution. Organise a one-off careers event or even start a sustained engagement scheme between your institution and a selection of people. This gives them a chance to see what’s going on behind the scenes and have a feel of the day-to-day life of doctors, nurses or scientists.
  • Through public dialogue. As defined by the Research Council UK, public dialogue is a deliberative participatory engagement where the outcomes are used to inform decision-making. An example of this may be organising a focus group with patients in order to decide what the next step of your research should be. These initiatives can go really far –patients can even become the researchers!
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Collaborative projects with patients, artists and other collectives can lead to meaningful, long-standing engagement
  • Through broadcast media. Whether it’s an appearance on a TV, radio show or a podcast, this can be an effective way to reach out to the public. Your audience can participate by phone or social media, or there could be an associated event to enable them to have their say. Need tips on how to do TV or to work with journalists effectively? The Society can support you and point you in the right direction for training and useful resources.
  • Through written word. If you are a keen writer and enjoy the creativeness of the process you can apply those skills to engage your audience by telling them about your work. Write a blog or become a contributor for a website or magazine and spark a conversation with and amongst your readers.
  • By becoming a media ambassador for the Society. Regardless of the medium, collaboration between the worlds of science and journalism enables the responsible and clear reporting of science in the news.
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Long gone are the days when endocrinology was badly reported in the news and you could do nothing about it!
  • Through Social Media. ‘Ask me anything’ sessions or Twitter takeovers are a great conversation-based way to engage with people – you just need access to the internet and a Reddit or Twitter account to get going!
  • Through art. Art and science aren’t opposites – they are both driven by curiosity, require creativity and both aim to gain a better understanding of the world. Collaborations between science and the arts range from films, theatre and exhibitions to dance, storytelling, comics and stand-up comedy.
  • Creating a resource. If you have the creative drive and the crafting skills but define yourself as a ‘behind the scenes’ sort of person, why not creating materials or activities for other people to use? Board games, mobile apps, activities for science festivals – you name it!
  • Through citizen science. Let people become your co-researchers to achieve common research goals, like collecting information on viral epidemiology, self-soothing, protein folding or mapping the human brain.
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In citizen science a crowd is a community of brilliant minds ready to chip in and help you achieve what may otherwise be unachievable!

Public engagement isn’t easy, but that doesn’t make it dreadful, inconvenient or disruptive. Rather, your challenge lies in approaching it creatively. If you have a passion for what you do, there will be a way to channel it into a public engagement activity – you just need to find the right fit for you and your public!

Aida de Heras, Society for Endocrinology Communications Executive.

The Society for Endocrinology is committed to public engagement by offering members training opportunities, public engagement resources and opportunities to get involved.

 

Categories Public Engagement•Tags challenges, current affairs, Education, Game, How To, media, news, science comms, Social Media, support

12 endocrine news stories that you may have missed in 2016 – Part 2

Published on 28/12/201628/12/2016 by Society for Endocrinology1 Comment

Part 2

Following on from part one of our three blog posts, we look at some endocrinology-related news stories you may have missed in the months between May and August 2016.

May: 3-D printing life

3-D printing human organs isn’t just exclusive to the TV show Westworld, it’s also new science. In May this year, scientists from Northwestern University in the U.S successfully implanted mice with fully functional 3-D printed ovaries. The results were presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting ENDO 2016 in Boston. 3-d-print

The mice went on to deliver healthy babies, had normal hormonal cycles allowing them to nurse their offspring, and their offspring were able to produce healthy babies of their own.

The researchers used a digital “plan” to make a 3-D printer print the structure layer by layer using gelatin (derived from collagen) as a scaffold. They then implanted human-derived oocytes into the structure. Researchers next hope to test the technique in pigs, before moving onto humans.

“We hope to one day restore fertility and hormone function in women who suffer from the side effects of cancer treatments or who were born with reduced ovarian function,” said lead author Monica M. Laronda.

Media headlines causing a buzz:

Fat labradors give clues to obesity epidemic (BBC)

Common diabetes drug may raise risk of developing cancer (The Telegraph)

Psoriasis linked to higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes (Nature World News)

Scientists successfully made sperm-like cells from human skin cells (The Science Explorer)

Is obesity contagious? (Daily Mail)

On the potential of androgens (Wall Street Journal)

 

June: Give breast cancer patients letrozole for 10 years

breast-cancerWomen with early stage hormone receptor positive breast cancer may benefit from treatment using hormone suppressor letrozole for 10 years, rather than the standard 5.  A study presented at the Oncology Society’s annual meeting, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that women who took the aromatase inhibitor for ten years were 34% less likely to have a return of breast cancer, or occurrence of new breast cancer.

HR positive breast cancer, the most common type, can be fuelled by hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone. Aromatase inhibitors inhibit the enzyme aromatase, preventing the conversion of androgens to oestrogens, and the subsequent fuelling of breast cancer.

“Aromatase inhibitors are now readily available around the world and therefore our results will further improve the outcome of women with breast cancer globally. It will help tens of thousands of women. It will have an enormous impact,” said the lead author Dr Paul Goss.

The drug did not affect overall survival rate, but Goss comments that this is because the drug did not prevent the cases of recurrence outside the breast, which most often causes death.

The drug is known to increase osteoporosis, with 14% of women in the treatment group and 9% in the placebo group suffering fracture.

“It’s really bone versus breast cancer, is what it really comes down to,” said Dr Carey of the University of North Carolina. The treatment may not be for everyone, but could be beneficial for patients who are at high risk of breast cancer recurrence and who are likely to tolerate the side effects of the therapy.

Media headlines causing a buzz:

New rules to regulate Europe’s hormone-disrupting chemicals (The Guardian)

Growing human organs inside pigs (BBC)

Bone hormone boosts exercise (Nature)

 

July: Vitamin D supplements advised for everyone

The lack of sun in the UK is a downer, but it also has real effects on our health. In May, Public Health England advised that everyone aged one and over needs 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day in order to maintain healthy muscles and bones.vit-d

One in five people in the UK have low levels of vitamin D, which in children can lead to rickets, and in adults can lead to bone weakness and pain, and is also linked to other health problems.

In winter we don’t get enough vitamin D from the sun, and it is difficult to get enough from natural food sources such as oily fish and red meat. The recommendations came from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) following an intensive review.

“SACN was right to say that we can’t rely on sunshine in the UK to meet the vitamin D requirements. That’s a major and important change. It’s a big step forward that this is now officially recognised,” said Adrian Martineau from Barts and the London School of Medicine.

 Media headlines causing a buzz:

Male hormone reverses cell aging in clinical trial (Science Daily)

Cravings for high-calorie foods may be switched off by new food supplement (Imperial College London)

Diabetes revolution: artificial pancreas could spell the end of finger pricks and injections within two years (Daily Mail)

 

August: Caster Semenya in the Rio Olympics

The world’s media attention turned once again to Olympian Caster Semenya, who this August won Gold at the women’s 800m race in Rio. In 2009, the 18 year old athlete was greatly scrutinised after she improved her personal best by 7 seconds in 9 months. She was subject to gender testing and barred, ensuing scientific and ethical debate.

In 2011 the IAAD created a policy requiring women with especially high testosterone levels take hormone supressing drugs in an effort to control their testosterone levels under the threshold of 10nmol/L. The ruling was suspended for two years due to lack of evidence of the real benefits of high natural testosterone on performance.

Semenya’s performance has once again revived the debate on hyperandrogenism, gender and what constitutes fair play at the Olympics.

The BBC recently summarised the case the following way:

“But there is a catch-22 which may haunt her all the same: if Semenya runs as well as she can, destroying the field, mangling that old record, it could end her career as it stands at the same time.

For what greater indication of unfair advantage could there be, when the IAAF is trying to buttress its case, than a victory unlike anything history has ever seen before?”

Media headlines causing a buzz:

British study finds risk of breast cancer nearly tripled by combined HRT (The Guardian)

Mystery of the female orgasm may be solved (The Guardian)

Sleep ‘resets’ brain connections crucial for memory and learning, study reveals (Nature Communications)

Metformin could treat cardiovascular disease in people without type 2 diabetes (Diabetes.co.uk)

Categories Membership, Public Engagement, Uncategorized

12 endocrine news stories that you may have missed in 2016

Published on 22/12/201622/12/2016 by Society for Endocrinology2 Comments

Part 1

2016 will go down as a landmark year in history. Amongst endless grant applications, journal submissions, clinics, lab work, teaching and everything else, you would be forgiven for not having enough time to read the news. But as the year winds down and you have a little more time to yourself, check out our top picks of endocrine news stories in 2016. In part one of three blog posts, we look at the period between January and April.

 

January: Man flu

Flu season has well and truly begun, and along with it, man-flu season.

jan-man-flu

It’s a common belief that colds hit men harder than women. Whether men simply exaggerate their suffering or actually experience worse symptoms is a subject of much debate. In February, research from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore revealed that the dreaded ‘manfluenza’ may not just be a product of our imagination. The culprit? Oestrogen – or, rather, men’s lack of it.

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology

revealed that woman may be protected from the worst of the flu by the female sex hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen dramatically slowed the replication of the influenza virus in nasal cells from women, but not men.

The biology is uncertain, but researchers believe it could be linked to oestrogen receptor Beta, which affects more than 30 genes involved in cell metabolism, slowing down viral replication. These receptors are sparsely present in male cells and may explain why oestrogen offered no protection in men’s nasal cells.

“If women are taking oestrogen-like hormones for other reasons, an added benefit might be less susceptibility to influenza during the flu season,” Klein says.

Media headlines causing a buzz this month:

Have scientists discovered the elixir of youth? Hormone ‘extends lifespan by 40%, protecting the immune system against the ravages of age’ (Daily Mail)

New guidelines for treatment of severe primary adrenal insufficiency symptoms (Endocrine Society)

IOC rules transgender athletes can take part in Olympics without surgery (The Guardian)

 

February: To gel or not to gel

For decades, men have been using testosterone gel with the hope it will improve their libido, energize and rejuvenate them. Some enthusiasts even label is the elixir of life. But so far there is very little data on the short term effects of testosterone supplementation on men’s health, and no long term data. Whether the decline in wellbeing is causally linked to low testosterone is unclear.

In February, the issue became clearer when a study revealed that testosterone has very modest effects on sexual function in older men who have very low testosterone. The landmark study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the largest randomised trial on testosterone replacement so far.

The men in the study reported “improved their sexual function, mood and depressive symptoms, and perhaps walking,” according to lead author Peter Snyder, an endocrinologist from the University Of Pennsylvania Perelman School Of Medicine.

The study did look at a specific group of men, all aged over 65, and all with particularly low testosterone (<9.5nmol/L).

“The findings don’t apply to younger men, or men with borderline low testosterone,” said Society for Endocrinology member Professor Frederick Wu.

So while we can’t say testosterone supplementation will make men feel young again, it might help in a small subgroup of older men who have low testosterone.

Media headlines causing a buzz this month:

Zika Virus a Global Health Emergency, W.H.O. Says (NYTimes)

A step closer to understanding fertilization (EurekAlert)

 

March: Winter babies

Maternal vitamin D is particularly important for babies born in winter, according to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

We know from observational studies that mothers who have higher levels of vitamin D during pregnancy tend to have babies with higher bone mass. Until now, there have been no randomised placebo controlled trial to see if supplementing pregnant women with vitamin D can actually improve bone mass in their babies.

feb-bones

In this study more than a thousand women between 14 and 17 weeks pregnant either took a placebo, or vitamin D for the remainder of their pregnancy. When the researchers looked at the group as whole, they found no effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on babies bone mass compared to placebo. However, amongst babies born in winter, maternal vitamin D supplementation did improve bone mass.

“Babies’ bones strengthen during the last stages of pregnancy. Since sunlight is our most important source of vitamin D, mothers’ levels of vitamin D tend to drop from summer to winter,” said Professor Nicholas Harvey from the University of Southampton.

“The trial has given us the first evidence that supplementing mothers with vitamin D during pregnancy counteracts the seasonal drop in maternal vitamin D levels and may help to ensure good bone development in these winter births,” he added.

Media headlines causing a buzz this month:

Mystery cancers are cropping up in children in aftermath of Fukushima (Science Mag)

Women who take HRT drugs soon after going through menopause are ‘less likely to suffer heart disease’ (Daily Mail)

Breast cancer sufferers could be spared chemotherapy. Cancer tumours are killed in 11 days with ‘staggering’ new therapy (The Telegraph)

 

April: “If it’s not a cancer, let’s not call it a cancer”

In one of the biggest endocrine stories 0f the year, a type of thyroid tumour is no longer classified as a cancer. As it turns out, certain types of tumours are encapsulated in impenetrable tissue and should not be classified as cancer. The tumour, known as encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (EFVPTC), makes up 10-20% of all thyroid cancers diagnosed in Europe and North America.

march-cancer

Previously, people diagnosed with the non-threatening condition would have their entire thyroid removed, undergo treatment with radioactive iodine, and have regular check-ups for the rest of their lives. EFVPTC involves small abnormal lesions in the thyroid gland which look like cancer, but are completely contained by a fibrous capsule and unable to spread.

A group of 24 pathologists, two endocrinologists, a thyroid surgeon and a psychiatrist reviewed a hundred cases of patients with EFVPTC, who had the capsules removed but no further treatment. After 10 years, all patients with encapsulated tumours were cancer free.

The move means thousands of patients world-wide will be spared the diagnosis of cancer, avoiding excessive treatments and the psychological trauma of cancer diagnosis.

The new name for the lesion is NIFTP or “Nift-P” which stands for non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features”. Pretty Nifty.

Media headlines causing a buzz this month:

Male contraceptive gel that ‘blocks sperm’ could be available in less than two years (The Independent)

The case against low-fat milk is stronger than ever (TIME)

New hormone regulates glucose (Nature)

Pancreatic cell transplantation: a breakthrough for type 1 diabetes? (Medical News Today)

Improving blood levels of vitamin D could decrease cancer risk according to results published in PLOS One (Medical News Today)

Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Tied to Depression (NYTimes Blog)

Categories Public Engagement•Tags media, news

An endocrinologist’s survival guide for live TV interviews

Published on 22/09/201616/11/2016 by Society for Endocrinology1 Comment

On the 5th of September 2016, news broke of a study which showed that taking Vitamin D supplements in addition to asthma medication cuts the risk of severe asthma attacks and the number of people needing steroid treatment. BBC World News contacted the Society for Endocrinology for expert comment on the story – here Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Warwick Rosemary Bland describes what she learned from the experience and leaves her top tips for dealing with the media.

 

My Tuesday started off pretty normally. It was around 10.30 in the morning and I had just returned from B&Q with a car full of compost and wood when my mobile rang. It was the press office at the Society for Endocrinology, wanting to know if I could do an interview for the BBC.

“Phone or radio?” I asked.

“Live TV,” they responded.

My instant reaction was to try and get out of it, thinking about my appearance as I was decorating the house. I gave some names for other experts in the field but I‘d barely had time to consider my lucky escape when a BBC producer rang. I guess they couldn’t contact my scapegoat!

It was exactly 10.41AM and I was asked if I could make it down to the London studio for 12.15PM. This is where the speedy nature of journalism and my first lesson really sunk in – what would be a stressful, logistical nightmare for most is just a regular request from the BBC.

London was out of the question. Luckily, Coventry has a BBC studio and a taxi was booked to pick me up at 11.45. The producer asked me a few questions to give the interviewer some background on the subject and she asked who I was and what I did so they could introduce me. Easy enough? Actually I found it difficult to decide.

I know a lot about vitamin D, but what did I know about this asthma study? Not much more than I’d seen on breakfast TV that morning. After a quick Google, I found all 71 pages of it. Here was the second lesson: you will not have time to do any homework in detail.

After absorbing what I could, I began to think about how the only thing I had to sort out now was myself (no hair and makeup in regional studios). However, remember the quote from Alien “in space, no one can hear you scream” well when on BBC World News ‘no one in the UK can see you’, so that was strangely comforting.

The third lesson was on how to dress. The microphone clips on, but the wires go inside your clothes. A blouse was easy; a dress would have been more difficult. In regional studios the camera only grabs your head and shoulders, so shoes don’t matter, but the white blouse was too pale (I’m wearing a coloured top next time). The cameraman kept in touch with London, but it’s weird not being able to see the interviewer. Try not to glance at yourself on the adjacent TV – it doesn’t help.

The next thing I knew, Philippa Thomas in London was introducing me to the hundreds of millions of viewers watching BBC World News around the world.

Like a politician might do, I had thought of three main points I wanted to get across, so I found myself answering her questions that way. Is that a good idea? I don’t know, but it gave me something to focus on and I found that helpful. Here is one of the most important lessons – think about what you want to say, don’t rely on the interviewer’s questions. This is especially important for public health messages where caution needs to be urged. Just try and remember that you are the expert. As it was World News, I also had to remember not to be UK specific – so not ‘the NHS’, but ‘health services’.

Whether it was the producer (get a phone number for your BBC contact just in case and text them afterwards to ask for the clip), Coventry staff, or the VERY calm man in London who talked into my ear, everyone at the BBC was efficient and helpful. Remember that they do this every day, and so if they have forgotten the little things that might be worrying you; just ask.

When I rang the press office to tell them I was doing it they asked if I was excited. At the time it didn’t feel like it, but after it was all over I think I was. Would I do it again? Probably, but I hope I get the call when I’m not decorating.

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