NIHR | Manchester Biomedical Research Centre

Manchester hosts successful annual British Society for Investigative Dermatology conference

This month (3-5 April) Manchester hosted the 2017 British Society for Investigative Dermatology (BSID) annual meeting, organised by Dr Helen Young, Senior Lecturer in Dermatology and Chair of the BSID, and Dr Rachel Watson, Biomarker Lead for the BRC Dermatology Theme.

The meeting was a huge success, with over 190 delegates attending from across the world. Professor Lesley Rhodes, Associate Lead for the Dermatology Theme was a guest speaker, delivering the plenary lecture on closing day of the conference Photobiological responses in people of skin type I to VI, and Inflammatory Hair Disease Programme Lead, Professor Ralf Paus delivered a lecture The ageing hair follicle on the clinical translational day.

The conference also showcased 32 oral and 67 poster presentations, with Dr Suzy Pilkington awarded the best poster prize, for her work on Langerhans cells and beta defensin-3 in ageing. Dr Joe Ainscough took home the top oral prize for his work on the activation of IL-36 by Cathepsin S.

The conference was also supported by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Dean of The University of Manchester, who presented the Distinguished Local Lecture entitled A life of science.

This year’s annual meeting was a great success and coincided with the start of our NIHR Biomedical Research Centre funding. With a strong attendance by the UK’s and overseas clinical and non-clinical dermatology scientists, it was an opportunity to showcase our world-leading research and its impact and to discuss our plans going forward for the Dermatology Theme.

Dr Rachel Watson