This initiative is helping to update our community by giving researchers a platform to share their data live with a global audience.
Dr Christine Barlow, our Research Engagement Manager, said. “The idea for the webinars came to us during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, when face-to-face conferences were being cancelled. It seemed natural for us to step in and create a space for researchers to connect, and continue sharing data and discussing ideas.”
The webinars offer an opportunity for researchers to connect with their peers in a live global forum. This direct communication between researchers is vitally important.There’s a synergy when researchers work together; sharing knowledge sparks further creativity and prevents duplicating effort. It’s hoped that the events will initiate new collaborations between researchers, as might happen at a face-to-face scientific conference.
However, it’s not a closed group. Researchers from any scientific discipline are invited to attend, whether currently working in the brain tumour field or not.
Researchers working in related scientific disciplines such as bioengineering, mathematical modelling, artificial intelligence, or medicinal chemistry, should join the webinars to spark a collaboration and apply their skills to the brain tumour world.
The webinars aim to be as topical as possible focussing on the latest theories and including new or as-yet unpublished data. They’re a great way for researchers to find out about the latest data and to ask the experts questions in real-time.
Dr Lucy Stead, Head of Glioma Genomics, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, UK (webinar attendee). “This format makes it so much easier to hear, and share, new data and explore new avenues as they arise, which is sure to accelerate progress.”
The first webinar was held in May this year and was a great success; 129 academic and clinical researchers from 9 countries attended.
Prof Steve Clifford, Prof of Molecular Biology, University of Newcastle, UK (webinar speaker). “I am delighted to take part in The Brain Tumour Charity’s new webinar series. It’s a great forum to hear about the latest research, make connections and spark collaborative ideas.”
There was so much positivity from the initial webinar that a second one is scheduled for Thursday 16 July with more webinars in the pipeline too. The Charity hopes to make them as useful as possible for the scientific community, so researchers are being encouraged to suggest topics or request a slot to present their new work.
We’ll do all we can to keep driving research forward in spite of the challenges that the pandemic has presented. One of the positive legacies of lockdown may be the establishment of this new forum to help researchers move further, faster, towards a cure.
Click here for details of our upcoming webinars and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to be the first to hear about them.