The Policy and Public Engagement Committee is pleased to welcome five new Ambassadors who will be sharing their enthusiasm for pharmacology and representing the Society. The Ambassadors, from a variety of backgrounds and locations within UK and further afield, will be working for the next 2 years to bring the pharmacology community together.
Dr Cristina Pérez-Ternero
I completed my undergraduate studies in Pharmacy in 2011 and finished my PhD in Cardiovascular Pharmacology at the University of Seville, Spain in 2017, during which I studied the protective effects of rice bran diet supplementation on the development of atherosclerosis. I am currently a Postdoc in Professor Adrian Hobbs’ lab at the William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, investigating the role of C-type natriuretic peptide in cardiovascular-related diseases.
Dr Cristina Perez-Ternero
What inspired you to become an Ambassador?
My inspiration to become a BPS Ambassador originates from participating in various meetings and public engagement events that the BPS organises for pharmacologists from different backgrounds. During my years in research, I have worked in multiple countries and different environments. I am a member of the Spanish Pharmacological Society and during my PhD training, I worked in a research lab in Germany. I recently joined the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) early career investigator subcommittee, which is giving me the opportunity to interact and work with pharmacologists from around the world. All this has made me realise how diverse the perspectives within pharmacology can be and how we can benefit from collaborating with each other.
Planned projects
In my first year as a BPS Ambassador, I would like to reinforce the relationship between the early career scientists from the Spanish and British pharmacological societies. I would like to organise engaging activities for undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic staff and the public to increase the awareness of pharmacology, identify problems facing pharmacologists and provide the opportunity to increase networking between pharmacologists from both societies.
Dr Laura Sadofsky
I graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Medical Biochemistry and an MSc in Toxicology. I returned home to Hull to study for a PhD in Medicine, looking at the molecular pharmacology of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 cation channel in the airways. I have remained in Hull ever since and am now a senior lecturer in respiratory medicine in the Hull York Medical School at the University of Hull. I am interested in ion channels and their role in cough, host responses to respiratory viruses, and airways inflammation. In addition, my group is working to develop models of the human airways using human cells and lung tissue. I have been a member of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) for 10 years.
Dr Laura Sadofsky
What inspired you to become an Ambassador?
I applied to become a BPS Ambassador because I am keen to promote pharmacology in my local area. I am keen to promote the importance of understanding the basics of pharmacology to training medical professionals at Hull York Medical School (HYMS), as good pharmacology knowledge makes better prescribers. I would also like to encourage biology and biomedical scientists to consider a career in pharmacology. Finally, I would also like to use the scheme to make connections and collaborations with other people in the field, both in academia and industry.
Planned projects
We have a new MSc in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery starting at HYMS in September 2019. I would like to set up a pharmacology society for these students, and also encourage biomedical, biology, MB BS and physicians associate students to join from the HYMS parent institutions, the University of Hull University of York. As part of this, I would like to invite a prominent speaker from the field of pharmacology to speak at the University of Hull to inspire the students.
Dr Htet Htet
I am a graduate from the University of Medicine (1) Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) for both MBBS and Master of Medical Science (Pharmacology), and recently obtained a Post-Graduate Certificate in Health Professions Education (PGCertHPE) from International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My medical career began in 2004 as a demonstrator at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine (1) Yangon. I was promoted to assistant lecturer in 2007. I worked as a lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine, SEGi University, Malaysia. I am currently a senior lecturer at the School of Medicine, International Medical University. My research interests are: acetylator phenotyping, pharmacogenetics, HPLC plasma drug essays, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and medical education. My work has been presented at the BPS’s Annual Meetings in 2014 and 2018. I am a member of the BPS, the Malaysian Society of Pharmacology and Physiology, and the Myanmar Pharmacology Society.
Dr Htet Htet
What inspired you to become an Ambassador?
As a clinical pharmacologist and academic, I am involved in increasing the awareness of clinical pharmacology and safe prescribing. Being an Ambassador for the BPS can open more opportunities for communication between the Society and South East Asia, especially Malaysia and Myanmar. I hope that this opportunity will encourage more participation and presentation of the research findings related to pharmacology to a world stage and that it is a great opportunity for the next generation of medical scientists and pharmacologists. Moreover, I wish to be a role model for my students on how to become first-rate in the field that we have been chosen to specialise in.
Planned projects
Our department is planning to conduct a Safe Prescribing Skills workshop for junior medical officers and is preparing the undergraduate curriculum to strengthen the role of rational and safe prescribing skills in clinical years, by having a dedicated timeframe and teaching-learning activities. We introduced the very first objective, structured clinical examination station related to ‘Rational and Safe Prescribing’ in August 2019 for undergraduate clinical students. On top of that, our department is beginning to develop a mobile application or a digital education tool for the purpose of teaching safe prescribing skills. As an Ambassador, I plan to have a networking meeting among pharmacologists to exchange our ideas, find opportunities for further collaborations, strengthen our networking, and promote our professional relations. Providing information regarding drugs and safety to the general public is also one of my plans, which I would like to implement in the near future by using a platform that can reach the public in the most effective way.
Professor Emmanuel Etuk
I am a Nigerian Professor of Clinical Pharmacology who is currently working with the College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Nigeria in West Africa. I graduated with a first degree in medicine, then obtained MSc and PhD degrees in pharmacology. I have been a clinical pharmacologist for more than two decades, teaching the knowledge to pharmacy, medical, nursing and other paramedical students. I also conduct research in pharmacology and supervised more than 40 postgraduate projects in pharmacology. I have published more than 60 papers in local, national, and international journals. I am a member of many professional bodies, including the West African Society for Pharmacology and the BPS. I have also been networking with pharmacologists in other institutions to improve the teaching of pharmacology in Nigeria and West Africa.
Professor Emmanuel Etuk
What inspired you to become an Ambassador?
I observed with keen interest the activities of BPS Ambassadors at pharmacological conferences and I was impressed and captivated. It was through them that I was able to become a member of BPS. Through them, I also learnt about the activities of the ambassadorial programme, which involve spreading the frontiers of the knowledge of pharmacology and this also impressed me. As a BPS member, I want to participate and contribute to the activities of the Society. I also want to mentor the younger members.
Planned projects
I intend to network and introduce my colleagues to the activities and benefits of belonging to the BPS. I will encourage my colleagues and students to attend BPS events. I plan to mobilize my colleagues and embark on visits to secondary schools to campaign against drug abuse, which is a common menace affecting the youth here and, equally, use the opportunity to stimulate their interest in the study of pharmacology as a discipline.
Dr Christopher Torrens
I graduated with a BSc (Hons) from Glasgow Caledonian University before undertaking my PhD at the University of Southampton on the developmental programming of cardiovascular disease. After post-doc positions at Southampton and the University of Auckland, I was appointed a Lecturer in Physiology at Southampton and am currently Associate Professor in Physiology. My research interests focus on vascular smooth muscle, but I also have a strong interest in teaching and education. I have been a member of the Society since 2001.
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Dr Christopher Torrens
What inspired you to become an Ambassador?
I applied to become a BPS Ambassador because I value the role learned societies such as the BPS play and what they can offer to both established and early career scientists. Having been a member for nearly 20 years, I wanted to be more active in the Society and help promote membership, as well as pharmacology more broadly. At Southampton, pharmacology is taught in different programmes across different faculties, but there is no central department of pharmacology. I would like to create a virtual department that can bring staff together and coordinate speakers and host events to promote pharmacology locally and link to other departments within the region.
Planned projects
First, I would like to set up our virtual department. Second, being in the Faculty of Medicine, I am keen to bring Clinical Pharmacology Month to Southampton and promote pharmacology and clinical pharmacology to our undergraduates.
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