A conference in Glasgow will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish government by looking ahead to what Scotland could achieve across healthcare research and innovation in the next 50 years.

The gathering at the end of October at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) will bring together researchers, innovators, healthcare staff, policymakers, industry and the public to explore how research and innovation can tackle Scotland's growing healthcare challenges.

The full programme for Scotland's Health Research and Innovation Conference, being driven by Chief Scientist for Health, Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, has just been published.

Dame Anna says it will be an important opportunity to reflect on five decades of health research and innovation in Scotland, and further afield:

“While reflecting on progress, we are also looking forward to what is truly possible across the next 50 years, with research and innovation taking centre stage.

“It is the first conference under my leadership as Chief Scientist for Health and it has been a real team effort to create what I believe is a really exiting programme. It reflects the strength and diversity of our research and innovation capabilities here in Scotland, whilst providing a platform for learning, discussion, and networking."

While domestic priorities will take centre stage with delegates hearing from both Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Sir Gregor Smith and Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch, there will be fresh perspectives from globally recognised speakers from outside Scotland, including the Chief Health Scientist for Singapore and Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford.

Panel discussions and seminars will bring together universities, research groups and companies from across the health life sciences sector. There will also be a focus on Generation Scotland, a long-term study involving 24,000 people from 7,000 families, which has provided valuable insights for studies into conditions from cancer, heart disease and diabetes, to mental illness and dementia.

Dame Anna says that, with research and innovation a vital component of NHS recovery in Scotland after the pandemic, the conference needs to identify ways that healthcare in Scotland can continue to evolve and improve:

“Life sciences of course remains a key priority and significant growth area, as cited in the recently published National Innovation Strategy. Further progress will also continue to be made thanks to Scottish research and innovation targeting other major priorities such as cancer and dementia, with fresh strategies for both being recently published.

“This is underpinned by an enthusiastic, driven workforce that is keen to develop and integrate new breakthroughs for better patient outcomes. We believe this conference represents just the beginning of so much more.”

More details are available on the NHS Research Scotland website.

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