Medical research careers Wendy Ewart PhD MRC Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Strategy October 2013

Encourage and support high-quality research with the aim of improving human health. Produce skilled researchers. Advance and disseminate knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness in the UK and worldwide. Promote dialogue with the public about medical research. MRC mission

100 years of the MRC National Insurance Act of 1911 put aside funds for TB treatment and research. Medical Research Committee was established and submitted the first ‘scheme of research’ in ‘Haldane Principle’ first proposed in Became the Medical Research Council in MRC National Institute for Medical Research opened in 1920.

Rickets caused by lack of vitamin D (1910s) Discovery and development of penicillin (1940s) Pioneered randomised controlled trials for tuberculosis (1940s) Discovery of link between smoking and cancer (1950s) Invention of DNA fingerprinting (1980s) Humanised therapeutic antibodies in widespread use (2000s) 100 years of discoveries Image credits: Wellcome Images and Flickr/stevendepolo

The MRC today From one institute created in 1920, we now have 57 institutes, units and centres, including units in The Gambia and Uganda. The MRC spent £766.9m on research in 2012/13. At any one time, we support around 400 fellows and 1,800 PhD students. To mark our Centenary, we’re spending £12m on our Centenary Awards, supporting early-career researchers to pursue new opportunities and accelerate their research. Find out more at

MRC Strategic Plan

Research changes lives Strategic aim 1 Picking research that delivers: Setting research priorities which are most likely to deliver improved health outcomes Strategic aim 2 Research to people: Bringing the benefits of excellent research to all sections of society Strategic aim 3 Going global: Securing progress in international medical research Strategic aim 4 Supporting our scientists: Supporting and sustaining a robust and flourishing environment for world-class medical research

Research priority theme 1: Resilience, repair and replacement Natural protection To explore innate resilience to disease and degeneration, understanding how it may be exploited for new interventions that ameliorate disease processes Tissue disease and degeneration To advance knowledge in the biology of ageing and degeneration of human tissue; to understand the mechanism and impact of chronic inflammation Mental health and wellbeing To explore the relationship between mental wellbeing and resilience to disease processes Repair and replacement To translate the burgeoning knowledge in regenerative medicine into new treatment strategies Strategic aim 1

Research priority theme 2: Living a long and healthy life Genetics and disease To use genetics, imaging, and biological indicators to understand predispositions for disease, and to target treatments to disease subtypes Lifecourse To drive forward interdisciplinary research addressing health and wellbeing from childhood to older age Lifestyles affecting health To determine the most effective strategies for tackling lifestyles that are detrimental to health Environment and health To explore the impacts of changes in our environment on health and wellbeing Strategic aim 1

The MRC supports research leaders of tomorrow Via PhD studentships and fellowships, we aim to: Train and develop the next generation of research leaders. Support excellent individuals at critical points in their careers. Help address national strategic research skills needs. A skilled workforce, both clinical and non-clinical, is essential for: Innovative research to improve understanding of health, disease and treatments. To attract the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and devices industries to the UK.

DTGs – non-clinical students MRC/ ESRC Interdisciplinary Population Health CDAs Biostatistics Seniors Bioinformatics Methodology MRC fellowships in non-clinical, strategic skills and interdisciplinary ESRC/MRC/NIHR Economics of Health Open Non-Clinical Applicants only Open Clinical & Non-Clinical Applicants Key Years post PhD

Clinician Scientist Fellows Senior Clinical Fellows Years post PhD Clinical Research Training Fellowships Clinical Training/ CL Clinical Training/ ACF Clinical Training/ SL MRC fellowships for clinical researchers MRC scheme NIHR scheme Key

The research ‘pipeline’

A change in culture Leaving research, or not reaching its highest echelons, is not a failure. Prospective PhDs should know that from the outset, and be trained during their PhDs in a range of skills. Also mentorship, and exposure to alternative careers.

‘Alternative’ research careers Research in government or industry Teaching Science publishing Science policy Public health Science communication Research funding administration Research regulation Politics Business Anything else … … many sectors would benefit from skills and knowledge of people trained to PhD level.

Transferable skills Critical thinking Problem defining/solving Numeracy/quantitative skills Information gathering/numeracy skills Communication skills: presentation and writing

‘Career’ postdocs Postdoctoral scientists often find themselves in a cycle of short contracts tied to grant funding. There is a perception that this leads many capable scientists to leave science at this stage of their careers, as well as failing to ensure stability in labs. Should we professionalise the postdoc and make it a valid permanent career choice rather than a stepping stone?

Not all research careers are conventional… Researches the navigation of Candida albicans hyphae in immunosuppressed patients. Worked in a series of jobs from announcing the sports news in Indonesia to running a poster agency in Qatar. Became interested in research after owning livestock and diagnosing livestock diseases. Did a biochemistry degree aged 40. Now runs a lab at the University of Aberdeen. Dr Alex Brand MRC New Investigator at the University of Aberdeen

Don’t forget technicians… Technicians are often highly skilled and represent the bedrock of modern labs. The role of technicians has expanded in recent years as biomedical research has become more complex. Opportunities are opening up for technicians to be responsible for areas of research work. John O’Brien Research support scientist at the MRC LMB Has modified a gene gun for neurodegeneration research and is completing his PhD by publication.

Conclusions