Brixton resident Dr Nisha Singh, is in Parliament today (7 March) to present her biological research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of the SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) for Britain poster competition event.
Singh, a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College, London, looks for novel uses for existing drugs. Her poster on her work about developing a “new lithium” (lithium is used as a treatment for bipolar disorder) will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.
She was shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to appear in Parliament.
She said, “This is a great opportunity to share my research with the people who make important decisions on the progress of science in the UK.”
Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said: “This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.
“These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future and SET for Britain is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”
Singh’s research has been entered in the biological and biomedical sciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony.
Judged by leading academics, the gold medalist receives £3,000, while silver and bronze receive £2,000 and £1,000 respectively.
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Society of Biology, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, The Physiological Society and the Council for Mathematical Sciences, with financial support from Essar, the Clay Mathematics Institute, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the Institute of Biomedical Science, the Bank of England and the Society of Chemical Industry.
The SET for Britain poster competition involves about 210 early stage or early career researchers and is judged by professional and academic experts.
The event is sponsored this year by Essar, the Clay Mathematics Institute, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the Institute of Biomedical Science, the Bank of England and the Society of Chemical Industry.
