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            <link>/smmsn/blog/from-cocktails-to-caffeine-the-effect-of-drugs-on-planarians/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[From cocktails to caffeine: The Effect of Drugs on Planarians]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Hi, my name is Kalanah, and I am a third-year Pharmacology student at the 51cg. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work on a Hotstart research project at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) at the 51cg, investigating the effects of alcohol and caffeine on planarian behaviour.
Planarians are small freshwater flatworms that possess a complex nervous system and are well known for their incredible ability to regenerate body parts. Planaria are also increasingly used as a model organism to study the effects of drugs on the nervous system, but how such substances impact&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/smmsn/blog/summer-project-experience-jojo-engels/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Summer project experience - Jojo Engels]]></title>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This summer, I had the opportunity to complete an 8-week research project with Professor Lynda Erskine, funded by a School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition Hotstart scholarship. The project looked at the development of the anterior eye using chicken embryos. During development, the ciliary body plays an essential role in regulating eye growth. However, the mechanisms controlling the development of the ciliary body are not fully understood.
Previous work in the lab used RNA-seq on embryonic chicken eyes to identify genes whose expression is regulated by the developing lens. During the project, we investigated the expression of some of&#8230;]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Beyond mortality: rethinking recovery, not just survival, after emergency surgery at ACPGBI 2026]]></title>
            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This July, I had the opportunity to present my research at the 2026 Annual Meeting of The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) at ICC Belfast &mdash; one of the largest bowel surgery meetings in the UK and Ireland. My talk asked a question that matters to patients as much as to surgeons: after major emergency surgery, can we predict not just whether someone survives, but how well they recover?
Emergency laparotomy is major, unplanned surgery to open the abdomen, often to treat life-threatening problems such as a blocked or perforated bowel. Because these operations carry real&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/smmsn/blog/from-aberdeen-to-basel-presenting-research-at-fessh/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[From Aberdeen to Basel: Presenting Research at FESSH]]></title>
            <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This year, I had the opportunity to present my first-author research at the Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand (FESSH) 2026 Congress in Basel, Switzerland. As a fourth-year medical student at the 51cg, presenting at an international conference was a memorable experience and an excellent opportunity to engage with clinicians and researchers working at the forefront of hand surgery.
One of the most rewarding aspects was discussing the work with experts in the field. While presenting can be nerve-racking, the questions and conversations afterwards were particularly valuable, offering different perspectives and highlighting areas for future&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/smmsn/blog/attending-the-royal-college-of-paediatrics-and-child-health-conference/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Attending the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Conference]]></title>
            <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This year I was awarded the opportunity to attend the&nbsp;Royal College of Paediatrics and Child&nbsp;Health (RCPCH)&nbsp;Conference after being selected as the&nbsp;51cg's&nbsp;representative. As someone with a strong interest in paediatrics, stemming from growing up&nbsp;in a large family, I was excited to meet doctors across the UK to learn more about the&nbsp;specialty as well as that to meet other likeminded students. The conference offered an inside view into not only children's healthcare but also the work culture behind the speciality, giving me the opportunity to connect with others who are curious about the field.
RCPCH awards one prize to each&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/smmsn/blog/leading-a-workshop-at-the-national-medical-student-widening-participation-conference/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Leading a workshop at the National Medical Student Widening Participation Conference]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[I was delighted to be invited to lead a workshop at this year&rsquo;s National Medical Student Widening Participation (NMSWP)&nbsp;Conference, held in Glasgow on 24th April 2026. My workshop focused on strategies for preparing for medical school finals while maintaining mental wellbeing, an area I am particularly passionate about!
My session highlighted&nbsp;key study techniques, practical and sustainable revision strategies during placements, and offered first hand insights into managing stress alongside the demands of medical school.&nbsp;It was incredibly rewarding not only to share my own experiences, but also to foster a collaborative and engaging environment where attendees could exchange ideas and learn&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/smmsn/blog/from-keyhole-surgery-to-pancreatic-cancer-a-day-of-research-at-asgbi-2026/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[From keyhole surgery to pancreatic cancer: a day of research at ASGBI 2026]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This May, I had the opportunity to present two pieces of research at the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI) Annual Conference in Brighton. I delivered one of the pieces as an oral presentation and the other as a talking poster.
Do we need to close the wounds from keyhole surgery?
In laparoscopic, also known as keyhole, surgery, instruments are inserted into the abdominal cavity through small cuts in the abdominal wall, which are known as port sites. These port sites come in different sizes depending on the type of instrument needed for different surgeries. A longstanding&#8230;]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Presenting at the Association of Anaesthetists Winter Scientific Meeting]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Attending the Association of Anaesthetists Winter Scientific Meeting from 15-16 January in London marked an important step forward in my medical career. It was my first opportunity to present my work at a national conference, both as a poster and an accompanying oral presentation, and it was an experience that proved both challenging and rewarding.
This project represented many months of dedicated work alongside colleagues whose support and collaboration I am deeply grateful for. Preparing research for presentation at a scientific meeting requires not only technical understanding but also the ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely to a specialist&#8230;]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Exploring the Future of Oncology]]></title>
            <pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[I had the amazing opportunity to attend the European Society for Medical Oncology: Targeted Anticancer Therapies (ESMO TAT) Congress in Paris where I had a front row seat to see the latest developments in cancer research and listen to talks from experts from all over the world.
I was delighted that my abstract, &ldquo;Real-world clinical outcomes of Lenvatinib plus Pembrolizumab in advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: A single-centre cohort study,&rdquo; was selected for an e-poster at the congress. This study was a project I was very fortunate to carry out at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. My abstract&#8230;]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Presenting at the Scottish Airway Group Conference]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[An exciting experience I had the opportunity to take part in was attending the Scottish Airway Group Conference in Glasgow on 13th March 2026. The conference was organised by one of the consultant Anaesthetists from ARI and focussed on topics around airway management in anaesthesia which is a medical speciality I am keen to pursue. I was invited to present a poster for a project I undertook during my surgical placement at Raigmore Hospital last November after submitting an abstract following guidance on the society website. My project examined current documentation practices and awareness of guidance for difficult airways within&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/smmsn/blog/finding-my-place-in-general-practice-and-medical-education/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Finding my place in General Practice and Medical Education]]></title>
            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Presenting research at a Scottish national conference can be both affirming and inspiring.
Last Month, I attended the National Academic Departments of General Practice in Scotland (NADEGS) 2026 Conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, a Scottish national conference for academics in General Practice (GP) and Medical Education practitioners. Over two days, I had the opportunity to present two research posters, meet clinicians and educators from across Scotland, and reflect on where my own future in medicine may be heading. The experience left me feeling encouraged, motivated, and increasingly confident in my growing interest in both General Practice&#8230;]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Presenting at the Anatomical Society Winter Meeting]]></title>
            <pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[On the 17-19th of December 2025, I attended the Anatomical Society Winter Meeting held at the Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, UK. I presented a poster entitled &ldquo;Anatomy in the digital age: Evaluating virtual dissection in a human cadaver-based curriculum&rdquo;. This project was completed during the second half of my intercalated year at the beginning of 2025.
My project explored the use of the Anatomage table (AT), a resource recently acquired by the 51cg anatomy department. The AT is a high-resolution virtual anatomy platform featuring a life-sized human cadaver displayed on a touchscreen interface. It allows students to&#8230;]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Visualisations in Vienna]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In October this year, I travelled to Austria, in Vienna, for the annual Congress of European Association of Neurological Surgeons (EANS). I had been invited to give an oral presentation on &lsquo;Visualising White Matter Tracts Using Multispectral Mueller Matrix Imaging&rsquo;. The city was exceptionally beautiful, and I had a brilliant time learning about neurosurgery from many interesting lectures and meeting lots of inspiring individuals.
The conference took place from Sunday 5th October until Thursday 9th October. I managed to make it just in time for the Welcome Dinner on the first day, despite delayed flights, and this was an excellent&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/smmsn/blog/presenting-my-research-at-eans-2025/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Presenting my research at EANS 2025]]></title>
            <pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Attending the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) Congress in Vienna from 5&ndash;9 October 2025 was an inspiring and defining moment in my medical journey. I had the honour of presenting both an oral presentation and a poster, sharing research that reflects two areas I am deeply passionate about: neurodegeneration and the history of medical innovation.
My oral presentation focused on &ldquo;Investigating the Role of Retinoic Acid Receptors in Motor Neuron Survival: Potential Therapeutic Insights for ALS.&rdquo; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive condition that leads to motor neuron death, and there is still no cure. Retinoic acid receptors&#8230;]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Attending and presenting at ERUS25]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[On the 10th of September 2025, I was delighted to have to opportunity to present the findings of my audit asking &ldquo;Should We Increase Follow-Up Intensity for PIRADS 4 Prostate Lesions with Negative or Clinically Insignificant Biopsy?&rdquo; at the the 22nd Meeting of the European Association of Urology Robotic Section (ERUS25)&nbsp;in London.
Men who have suspected prostate cancer undergo a multi parametric MRI scan and the PIRADS classification system allows for standardised reporting of these images, based on the degree of suspicion of prostate cancer. Men with PIRADS 4 lesions are likely to be diagnosed with clinically significant cancer, but&#8230;]]></description>
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