Hosted by the Population Health Sciences Institute (PHSI)

This online event will include a selection of exciting talks from members of the PHSI community and will conclude with a public lecture from Professor James Wilson, a philosopher and ethicist from UCL. Professor Wilson’s research integrates philosophy with other relevant disciplines, such as epidemiology, economics, and political theory, to explore conceptual and practical challenges in the sustainable and equitable improvement of human wellbeing. His research has particular focus on public health ethics, and the ownership and governance of ideas and information. 

This a fantastic opportunity to hear about all the different research taking place across the institute.  

Registration is required and details on how to access the webinar will be provided.  

Programme: 

Welcome & Introduction - 12.30-12.45pm - Professor Caroline Relton (PHSI Director)
Session1 - Patients - 12.45-1.30pm - Chair: Caroline Relton

 

• Prof. Kathleen Gillespie – Increased risks from SARS-CoV-2 infection in type 1 diabetes
• Prof. Richard Martin - Impact of the CAP prostate cancer screening trial on national and international policy
• Dr Celia Gregson - Musculoskeletal disorders in sub-Saharan Africa

Break - 1.30-1.45pm

Session 2 - Population - 1.45-2.30pm - Chair: Kristen Reyher

• Prof. Nic Timpson - Children of the 90s COVID-19 data collection and early findings
• Dr Ellen Brooks-Pollock - Modelling COVID-19 in university settings
• Dr Fernando Sanchez-Vizcaino – A large multi-centre study utilising electronic health records to identify antimicrobial stewardship targets for companion animals

Break - 2.30-2.45pm

Session 3 - Public - 2.45-3.30pm – Chair: Richard Martin

• Dr Kayleigh Easey - Prenatal alcohol use and offspring mental health
• Dr Lindsey Pike – Developing policy engagement and impact in population health research
• Prof. Caroline Relton – COVID-19 Mapping and Mitigation in Schools (CoMMinS) Study

Q&A with Panel - 3.30-3.45pm
Break - 3.45-4.15pm

Public Lecture - 4.15-5.15pm - Professor James Wilson (UCL) Precisely Wrong? Personalised medicine from the perspective of public health

The shift towards personalised medicine presupposes that tailoring interventions more precisely to individuals represents progress. This lecture argues that precision is a more controversial goal in medicine than is often acknowledged. A focus on precision will not always be easy to reconcile with other well-established health system goals, such as maximising health benefit, improving health equity, or even avoiding iatrogenic harm. Given that precision approaches will often compete for resources with less targeted approaches, it is useful to ask how the model of predictive modelling, and early intervention (secondary prevention) competes against rather less targeted interventions to improve the social determinants of health (primary prevention). I argue that primary prevention is in general to be preferred to secondary prevention—both on grounds of equity and of cost-effectiveness. To the extent that health systems end up cutting back on primary prevention to pursue personalised medicine, they do their citizens a disservice.