A busy summer for PALS: Research, graduation and more

While the summer can often be a quiet time on campus at universities across the country, RGU’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences (PALS) in the Sir Ian Wood Building have been anything but.

In mid-June, PALS hosted the second UK Harmful Algae (UKHA) meeting – a two-day event led by RGU Professors Linda Lawton and Christine Edwards and consisting of an organising committee from Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), UHI Shetland, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), as well as RGU.

The UKHA group consists of scientists, industry and policy makers who look at advancing strategies and understanding on the science and impacts of marine and freshwater harmful algae/bacteria in the UK.

Due to the pandemic, it had been four years since the previous meeting and therefore four years’ worth of developments and opportunities to discuss. The collaborative conference saw two full days of activity, guest speakers, knowledge sharing, and networking with guest speakers including Dr Philipp Hess of Ifremer in France, and Dr Janina Costa of Sustainable Aquaculture, UK.

With around 40 attendees, the event was a huge success and provided a fantastic opportunity for PALS to display and promote their expertise. Prof. Linda Lawton and Prof. Christine Edwards are both experts in their field and contributed to the University’s recent Research Revealed video series.

Shortly after the UKHA conference, PALS hosted their very own internal Research Day which showcased the impressive diversity and impact of research within the school. The event included theme leads across the school outlining their priorities for interdisciplinary research in preparation for the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2027.

Over ten presentations were shared by leading researchers at the school, from the internationally acclaimed Professors to research-active staff, early career researchers and PGR students. A recording of the event can be viewed internally.

The beginning of July saw graduations take place with those successfully earning their degrees from PALS celebrating on the final morning of the RGU’s summer graduations. Those crossing the stage included Morven Forsyth and Holly Grant who featured in the University’s Graduation Stories series.

Also graduating was Clodagh Mullen from the MPharm course. She was the recipient of the Tocher Medal for the best overall student in Stage 4 having also won several awards throughout the year, including the Cystinosis Foundation Ireland Prize for the best Final Year Project and the George Downie Medal for Clinical Practice.

Gwen Gray, Clodagh’s project lecturer, said: “Her hard work, dedication and enthusiasm shone throughout her project work and beyond. Her project covered ‘Prescribing skills in the MPharm: Student perceptions of social prescribing in Type 2 Diabetes’ and was an outstanding and comprehensive piece of work.”

Roisin Kelly, another Pharmacy student at PALS, was also rewarded for her hard work by winning the best Stage 3 Pharmacy Student Prize, which has been sponsored by RGU alumnus Esmail Merani for many years now.

Esmail graduated from the University 50 years ago when aged just 22.  His time at RGU was the springboard for a distinguished career as a Pharmacist both in the UK and in Canada. Having served on 23 different boards and been a Stittsville District Lions Club member for 44 years carrying out voluntary community work, Esmail leads a very active professional and personal life and PALS and the University as a whole would like to share their appreciation for his continued support and recognition of the achievements of nascent fellow alumni at RGU School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences. 

Elsewhere, PALS have been hosting Dr. Sevasti – Kiriaki Zervou, a postdoctoral fellow at the research group of Photo-Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for a month-and-a-half short term scientific mission (STSM). Originally based at the National Centre for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’ in Athens, Greece.

Dr. Zervou worked on a project entitled ‘Taste & Odor compounds and metabolomic profile of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806’ throughout June and July in collaboration with RGU Professors Linda Lawton and Christine Edwards. Her research stay was financed by the COST Action CA18225.

Regarding PGR student cohort within the school, there has been significant recent investment with three school fee waiver studentships; three interdisciplinary match funding scholarships; plus a fully funded IBioIC studentship which will begin in October. 

Research will be further boosted by the appointment of a Chancellor’s Fellow to the School this month, and a whole-school workshop will be held on improving Research Culture in September on the back of recommendations from an internal Research Culture Survey conducted in March by Dr Antonella Tonna. The PALS Research Seminar Series will be launched on 20th September and run until 13th December every Wednesday.