INFORMATION ON MEDICAL SCIENCE IN BRITAIN
- An Update from the British Council (Singapore)
October 1993
Content of a Selection of the Recent Press Releases from the London Press
Service's `Science and Technology News'
* En Route to a Leprosy Vaccine?
Mucosal immune responses that are important in defending the body against
infection in the nose, lung and gut, may hold the key to a leprosy vaccine,
according to scientists at Dundee University in Scotland.
* Britain's Growing Clinical Research Initiative
Five new clinical research centres are to be established by Britain's
Medical Research Council at a cost of Pds 15.6 million. This is the latest
development in an initiative to bring scientists and clinicians together
to tackle major problems in this field.
* CamNet Offers Diagnosis at a Distance
People will soon be able to have medical attention from a specialist many
kilometres away - via telephone or space satellite.
* Imaging System Solves Endoscope Problem
Scientists believe the successful trials of a new British endoscope system,
whose path inside the body can be viewed, could pave the way for the
screening of conditions such as cancer of the colon.
* Britain's New Institute for Environment and Health
Britain is to establish an Institute of Environment and Health at Leicester
University in the English Midlands. Its work is likely to focus on the
effect of airborne pollutants on human health.
* Harnessing Cannabis Without Its Psychoactive Effects
Researchers have taken a major step towards finding a way of utilising
the medicinal effects of marijuana without drugging patients' brains at
the same time.
* London Success for Foetal Heart Surgery
A baby that heart surgery in London while still in the womb is now a
healthy two-year-old.
* Now 3D Viewing Through the Surgical "Keyhole"
Three dimensional television used for remote control operations in the
nuclear industry is now being developed to help surgeons improve keyhole
surgery.
* Diet May Be Key to Beating Cancer
British cancer experts, who are playing a major role in the world's
largest in-depth investigation into diet and cancer, now believe that diet
may cause 35 per cent of all cancers and probably plays a part in breast,
bowel and most other common cancers.
* Gene Therapy for CF Goes on Trial
Gene therapy has started in Britain to combat cystic fibrosis, a common
genetic disease that causes lung damage and often leads to death at an
early adult age.
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International Courses and Seminars in Britain
The British Council in London organises and coordinates short courses in
a wide range of subjects including medicine, management of the arts,
sciences and even government administration. The courses are run by people
eminent in their field who bring together a pool of British and sometimes
European expertise. The participants always speak of their experience.
We have listed below some of the forthcoming courses, but this is by no
means the full prospectus.
* Paediatric Cardiology: Current Concepts and Recent Advances
9 - 16 March 1994
London
* Scientific Advances in Medical Virology
20 - 26 March 1994
London
* Quality Assurance in Clinical Laboratories
11 -22 September 1994
Birmingham
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For further information, please contact:
Mrs Yu-Toh Yin Yin
Information Officer
The British Council
30 Napier Road
Singapore 1025
Tel: 473 1111 x 145
Fax: 479 7481
Email: bcifunit at solomon.technet.sg
