Mark Lawler, Associate Director of Postgraduate Studies, Chair in Translational Cancer Genomics, and Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Amazing event at Queen’s University Belfast yesterday evening where we hosted the European Research Council (ERC) Scientific Council on the Queen’s campus. Great to meet ERC Scientific Council Vice President Liselotte Højgaard again – we first met 25 years ago and worked together on launching the European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights in the European Parliament on World Cancer Day 2014.
Also great to see my great friend and colleague Luke O’Neill who is a member of the Council. We worked out last night that we know each other from when I was 18 (the elder lemon) and Luke was 17 in first year science in Trinity College Dublin in 1981). Luke was the primary mover in getting the ERC to come to the island of Ireland and championed that they come to Belfast as well as Dublin – Huge thanks Luke.
Privileged to present on ‘Successfully delivering the Health and Wealth Agenda: Deploy data not opinion,’ showing examples from the island of Ireland and globally and highlighting the strength of cancer research on the island.
Highlight of the night was undoubtedly the fireside chat in the University’s Great Hall featuring two great women of modern science Nobel Laureate Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier and Professor Teresa Lambe OBE, the key architect of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, expertly compered by Donna Traynor.
Imagine my surprise when Professor Charpentier, not once but twice highlighted what I presented in my conclusion earlier that
‘Europe doesn’t have an innovation problem…Europe has an implementation problem‘
I nearly fell out of my seat. And what’s more she sought me out after the fireside chat to agree with me on my assertion
Its not everyday that a Nobel Laureate praises your work – I’m still on Cloud 9 with a silly smile on my face….
Below are ERC Grant Holder David Courtney who was the lead organiser of this unique event; Nobel Laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier; Luke O’Neill and yours truly.”
Other articles about ERC on OncoDaily.