From the Editor
Welcome to the April Bulletin.
From the President
Hello and welcome to the April edition of the Bulletin.
The UK’s contribution to the diagnosis and management of antibody deficiency
'Standing on the shoulders of giants you can see further…’ The advances in clinical immunology have been a collaborative effort with clinicians and scientists building on the work of others to bring about innovation. Here, Dr Kumararatne provides a personal account of some of these advances.
The journey to a greener pathology laboratory
Reducing the environmental impact of pathology laboratories while maintaining high standards is a balancing act that requires further exploration. In this article, we hear from the newly established BSVP Green Team and their work to improve sustainability in veterinary laboratories.
Improving anaesthetic care through collaboration: the Anaesthetic Allergy Working Party
Anaesthetic-related allergy is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition that can occur before, during or after an operation. The Anaesthetic Allergy Working Party was set up to improve patient care in this area and Dr Tomaz Garcez explains the need for standardised care and the role of immunologists and stakeholders such as RCPath.
Investigating fatal anaphylaxis
Immunologists are doctors and scientists who deal with the study, diagnosis and management of patients with disordered immune systems that are a result of acquired and inherited conditions or some blood cancers. They also advise on conditions in which immunological treatment forms an important part of therapy and/or prevention. Some immunologists specialise in treating allergies. Here, Dr Tomaz Garcez discusses fatal anaphylaxis and the role of the UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry.
Fatal call: getting away with murder
Forensic pathologists perform medico-legal post mortem examinations to determine the cause of death, including cases where a crime is suspected. They provide scientifically objective expert reports for the police, coroners, procurators fiscal and solicitors and give expert evidence in crown, family and coroners' courts among others. This section features an article by Home Office forensic pathologists, Dean Jones and Martin Allix.
The key role of veterinary pathology in public health
In this article, SAC Chair Professor Roberto La Ragione explains the vital role of veterinary pathologists and microbiologists in developing a greater understanding of disease processes and treatments that not only help animals, but also humans.
Improving care following sudden infant death and sudden unexplained death in childhood through collaborative learning
Here, Professor Marta Cohen and Dr Eleanor McTaggart provide an overview of learning from the SIDS and SUDC: past, present and future conference.
Report on the 15th International Congress on Paediatric Laboratory Medicine 2021
In this article, Dr Charles van Heyningen reports on the 15th International Congress on Paediatric Laboratory Medicine 2021.
Medical microbiology and medical virology: ever-evolving specialties
Medical microbiologists oversee the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness caused by microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and parasites). Virologists oversee the diagnosis, management and treatment of patients with viral infections. In this article, we discover more about the key achievements in these specialties and the challenges they are facing, including emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance.
Dr Mohammed Yousuf Karim
Dr Karim is Division Chief of Hematopathology and Senior Attending Physician in Immunology at the at Sidra Medical and Research Center based in Ar Rayyan, Qatar. Dr Karim recently represented the College at the MedLab conference where he spoke about the relationship between COVID-19 and immunodeficiency.
Dr Kathryn Griffin
Below, we hear about the experiences of pathology trainees at different stages of their training and from a range of specialties, including histopathology, chemical pathology, medical microbiology and haematology. They discuss why they chose pathology as a career, their key achievements and ideas for inspiring more trainees.
Dr Josh Newmark
Dr Josh Newmark is a Specialty Registrar in Chemical Pathology and honorary lecturer. In this profile, Josh highlights the variety that a career in chemical pathology has to offer as well as the challenges the specialty faces now and in the future.
Hamed Sharaf
Having moved from Egypt to the UK to pursue education, Hamed Sharaf is close to completing his training in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, and has already acted as a trainee representative on College committees. In this profile, he touches on the importance of his family, as well as the factors that drew him to pathology
Amit Sud
A trainee haematologist based in south-west London hospitals, Amit Sud has already earned such achievements as a Cancer Research UK-funded PhD and a Trainee Research Medal from the College. In this profile, he covers his career highlights so far, as well as the issues that pathology trainees currently face.
Not another article about wellbeing and mental health
Dr Chris Tiplady is a consultant haematologist in Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. He has a master's in clinical education and is an Executive Coach and Mentor as well as workplace mediator there. Here, Dr Tiplady discuss the importance of reflecting on your own mental health.
So much hides behind a smile
In this personal account about her own mental health and wellbeing, Claire Bowen highlights the need for better support for doctors.
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