Sunday 19 June 2016

Love at first sight: Why I fell in love with Gladstone's Library

Sleeping with books. This is how I first learned about Gladstone’s Library

Being a bookworm I could not miss the opportunity to visit such a wonderful place. I went for a Glimpse tour of the Reading Rooms: 15 minutes of bliss where I was allowed not only to look around but also to take books off the shelves!

The collections include mostly books about the Humanities, like Religion, Politics, Literature, and History. I was amazed to see the Bible in so many different languages. 

Gladstone’s very own books are also part of the collection. Most interesting to me was to find that some of his books were about Religion and Science. I even discovered three volumes of Charles Darwin’s Letters!

I would have loved to have more time to browse the collection and keep unlocking its secrets. Maybe one day…

A few days later, a letter came in the post thanking me for my donation. Tiny details like these are also part of what makes this place so special. Thank you Katharine Easterby for this.


The perfect atmosphere for writing and reading. Whether you are a bookworm or not, this is a place not to be missed.



An interactive 360 degree view from outside Gladstone's Library. Click, drag and explore!

Hearing from the experts in Ovarian Cancer

On Tuesday I attended the “Ask the experts conference organised by Target Ovarian Cancer.


Topics covered:

  •     Familial risk of ovarian cancer
  •     Improvements in diagnosis of ovarian cancer
  •     Advances in surgery
  •     Targeted treatments
  •     Public policy
  •     The role of a Research Advocate
  •     Living well with ovarian cancer
  •     The Target Ovarian Cancer Research Programme

I learned a lot form all the talks, however, I found the following sessions particularly interesting:


LIVING WELL WITH OVARIAN CANCER

According to PennyBrohn UK this is not rocket science. There are very easy things you can do to boost your immune system and live better, whether you suffer from cancer or not:
     
  •    Exercise regularly
  •    Manage your levels of stress
  •    Do activities you enjoy
  •    Keep a healthy diet


Below is a picture of the ideal Penny Brohn’s healthy eating plate. Note its particular features:
              
  •   Variety and colour              

  •   Natural whole foods              

  •   Plant based with some animal products              

  •   Herbs & spices





THE ROLE OF A RESEARCH ADVOCATE

Justin Champagne talked to us about Target Ovarian Cancer’s Research Advocates

This scheme relies on volunteers with a non-medical background and a connection with ovarian cancer who advice on research and “translate” it into plain English. Some of the activities of a research advocate are:

  •      Review research grant applications: help to shortlist the best candidates by becoming “lay reviewers”, and see the outputs of successfully funded projects at universities like Oxford and Cambridge.

  •      Review projects: make sure projects are commented in lay terms. For example the ROCkeTS (Refining Ovarian Cancer Test Accuracy Scores) project led by the University of Birmingham, intended to improve diagnosis of ovarian cancer.



The last part of this conference was about Target Ovarian Cancer’s RESEARCH PROGRAMME highlighting some of the projects they fund. The topics were absolutely fascinating but the presentations were not at all tailored for the general public.

I felt really sad when this lady turned to me and said “I didn’t understand anything”. It was not surprising when during one of the talks one member of the audience actually interrupted the speaker to say “I don’t understand what you mean by overexpression“.  

I am a scientist, and during some of these talks I felt like I was in a scientific conference! The slides showed figures that would belong in a science paper with terminology that non-scientists would not understand.

I know how challenging it is to translate research into plain English, but PLEASE, make an effort! How frustrating it must be for people connected with cancer when they go to events like this, hoping to learn about the new treatments and leaving baffled and confused.

So I’d like to take this opportunity to urge all the SCIENTISTS out there to DROP THE JARGON!





USEFUL LINKS

Participate in The BRCA protect Research Clinic. This programme, run by UCL, is trying to overcome the need of surgery by finding new ways of preventing breast and ovarian cancer.


Find if you have increased cancer risk in your family with the Cancer Genetics app developed by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. 


Record your symptoms with the Target Ovarian Cancer Symptoms diary app.

Take part in the Target Ovarian Cancer Pathfinder 2016survey, campaigning for increased awareness, higher survival and better funding for ovarian cancer. Open for women with ovarian cancer, clinical nurses caring for women with ovarian cancer, and family and friends of women with ovarian cancer.

Visit the Penny Brohn UK website to get information about their services and courses.

Read Justin’s blog post to find out what being a Research Advocate is like and how you can become one.