Why we need to embed smoking cessation into lung cancer screening programs

Parris Williams, PhD student at the NHLI, discusses her research looking at smoking cessation interventions delivered during lung cancer screening. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK for both men and women. Screening the at risk population with low dose CT is intended to catch the disease at an early […]

launch of the Margaret Turner Warwick Centre

On the 4th of November 2021, the Margaret Turner-Warwick Centre for Fibrosing Lung Disease (MTWC), the only UK research centre dedicated to the study of lung fibrosis, was launched within the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) at Imperial College London. The MTWC was formed following a strategic investment from Imperial College with the support […]

Becoming a bioinformatician: from Poland to Portugal via Imperial

Adrianna Bielowka, graduate of MSc Genes, Drugs and Stem Cells – Novel Therapies at Imperial, shares her journey through science and academia so far. With insights on how she chose what topic to focus on next and where to study, leading her to a PhD at the International Neuroscience and Physiology Doctoral Program at the […]

From the mating behaviour of flies to Cystic Fibrosis; my journey from student to postdoc

My name is Matt Coates, I am a post-doc researcher with Professor Jane Davies in the Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Lung Infection group. I was recently lucky enough to be awarded the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) and CF Europe (CFE) post-doctoral research fellowship, and now plan to spend the next two years, and hopefully more, […]

Brompton and NHLI: a respiratory perspective

The formal opening of The Institute for Diseases of the Chest as a postgraduate centre for research was announced in a Lancet editorial in November 1949. At the opening ceremony Sir John Anderson, chairman of the British Postgraduate Medical Federation, said that ‘if the public were to have, as it was entitled to have, through […]

How are doctors taught? Reflections on the MERU conference

How are doctors taught? This is an interesting question, one that I with my fundamental science background was not sure I know the answer to. So, seeking more answers I recently attend the sixth annual Medical Education Research Unit (MERU) Conference. The conference was an interesting afternoon and it broadened my knowledge of medical education […]

Gender re-balance: NHLI Women in Science Wikithon

At the end of June, I hosted the first National Heart and Lung Institute’s virtual Wikithon. The aim was to train participants on how to write and edit Wikipedia pages, with a view to increase the number of pages dedicated to women. Currently, less than 25% of all wiki pages on scientists are about women. […]

And I would walk 500km…for the Alzheimer’s Society

For around three years I have been raising money for Alzheimer’s Society as they give really good support to those suffering as well as supporting research, but during this time of COVID-19 there are so many people with Alzheimer’s who are very isolated and need additional support. Alzheimer’s Society are having to take on a […]

Lessons from lockdown: a student’s view

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most postgraduate research (PGR) students have had to start working differently. Those who usually spent time in labs, clinics and offices on campus had to adapt to try and continue with their PhDs. This time has taught us a lot about how we can work best, be productive, […]

#BlackLivesMatter

I am writing this blog as the NHLI Lead for Equality, but first and foremost I am writing this as a mother, a wife and a fellow human being. It’s been a difficult week, after months of Lockdown recent events in the US have really crushed me, I’m feeling mentally drained. My in-laws are part […]