Report - 13th April 2010

Welsh SpRs’ Scientific Paper Presentation

The following specialist registrars made 10 minute presentations to Cardiff Medical Society about their research.
- Sharmistha R. Chowdhury – SpR in Diabetes & Endocrinology, University Hospital Llandough
- Pete Jemmett – SpR in T&O School of Biosciences, Cardiff University
- Gillian Ingram CRF, Helen Durham Neuroinflammatory Unit, University Hospital of Wales
- Vikas Lodhi – Institute of Nephrology, University Hospital of Wales
- Paul Hong – SpR in Cardiology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport
- Thomas E. Ingram – SpR in Cardiology, University Hospital of Wales

The members of the society voted for what the felt to be the best presentation which considering the fantastic caliber of the presentation resulted in a very close result. There were two prizes awarded, one for medical research and one for medical research specifically in the area of cardiovascular research. The latter prize was supported by an education grant from Novartis.

The Cardiff Medical Society Registrar prize winners who were presented an award of £500 were:

Dr Gillian Ingram

Dr Thomas Ingram ( no relation!) cardiovascular medicine

Dr Ingram presented her research:
Complement Regulator Factor H as a Serum Biomarker of Multiple Sclerosis Disease State.

Multiple sclerosis has a variable phenotypic presentation and subsequent disease course and effective accessible biomarkers are required. Complement is known to play a role in MS and here we examined complement regulator factor H in 350 multiple sclerosis patients and 86 controls. We showed serum factor H is an effective indicator of disease progression and a practical and accessible biomarker of MS disease course.

Dr Ingram presented his research:
A randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial examining the effects of a new class of anti-anginal agent. Dobutamine stress echocardiography was performed in patients with established stable angina. His work demonstrated that patient supplementation with nitrite, a naturally occuring metabolite of nitric oxide, is capable of reducing objective markers of exertional myocardial ischaemia. Importantly, the effect of nitrite is targeted to ischaemic tissue and therefore unlikely to suffer from problems of tolerance, unlike other NO-donor agents.