UCL Prize Lecture in Life and Medical Sciences 2024

Prize Lecture in Life and Medical Sciences

The UCL Prize Lecture in Life and Medical Sciences is a prize awarded annually by UCL since 1997. The prize lecture has become one of the pre-eminent series on contemporary science in Europe and the annual lecture provides an opportunity to debate and celebrate important scientific advancements.

At the start of each academic year, staff and students in Life and Medical Sciences are able to nominate their scientific ‘hero/heroine’ and a Committee of senior professors makes the final selection.

We are delighted to announce that the next UCL Prize Lecture in Life and Medical Sciences will be given by Professor Sarah Gilbert, discussing 'Vaccine development during and after the pandemic'.

In 2020, vaccine developers found themselves building large, multidisciplinary teams to solve the problem of how to protect the world against a virus that had only just been identified and was causing widespread devastation. Drawing on extensive collective experience, assisted by prioritisation of funding, availability of research and clinical facilities and the acceleration of regulatory review, multiple vaccines were licensed and rolled out across the world in record time.

This lecture will discuss how that was possible, what vaccine research is now needed, and what the prospects are for a faster response next time.

Professor Sarah Gilbert, DBE, FRS, FMedSci

Sarah Gilbert is a Professor of Vaccinology in the Pandemic Sciences Institute at Oxford University. She works on viral vectored vaccine development, with projects on influenza, Nipah, MERS, and Lassa. Working with colleagues on the Old Road Campus in Oxford, she is able to take novel vaccines from design through GMP manufacturing to clinical development, with a particular interest in the rapid transfer of vaccines into GMP manufacturing and first in human trials. She was the Oxford Project Leader for ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, also known as Vaxevria/Covishield, which was estimated to have saved 6.3 million lives in its first year of use.

Registration

All are welcome to attend this event either in-person or join virtually.

Registration is necessary in order to receive final event details. If you should register and then find that you are unable to attend, please cancel your booking on Eventbrite.

Event programme:

5:00pm – Welcome and Introduction

5:05pm - Lecture and Q&A session

6:25pm - Closing remarks

6:30pm – Reception, South Cloisters

7:30pm - Close

We are extremely grateful to UCL alumnus, Dr Sanjeev Kanoria, Chairman and Founder of Advinia Health Care Ltd, for his great generosity in supporting this lecture.

Livestream

Professor Sarah Gilbert's lecture will be livestreamed.

Accessibility

Wilkins Building, Gustav Tuck Lecture Theatre is located on the second floor of the south junction of the Wilkins Building. The lecture theatre is accessible with step free access.

A ramp/slope is outside South Cloisters Entrance.

There is access to a lift to the second floor.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hestiate to contact us by emailing [email protected].

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