Edinburgh endometriosis scientist takes her science to Parliament

Dr Erin Greaves, a postdoctoral researcher at the MRC-Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen’s Medical Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, is attending the UK Parliament to present her science to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of SET for Britain* on Monday 17 March 2014.

Dr Erin Greaves

Dr Greaves’ poster on research about how we can treat pain associated with endometriosis will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.

Her research has been entered into the Biological and Biomedical Sciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony.

On presenting her science in Parliament, Dr Greaves said:

1 in 10 women of reproductive age have endometriosis; it is as common as asthma or diabetes but it can take up to 7 years to diagnose and there is an unmet clinical need for better treatments with fewer side effects. I applied for SET for Britain to have my research seen by a wider audience and to raise awareness for endometriosis with MPs who can influence policy, and guide how scientific funding is allocated in the UK.

Andrew Miller 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.

Judged by leading academics, the gold medalist receives £3,000, while silver and bronze receive £2,000 and £1,000 respectively. There will also be an overall winner from the four sessions who will receive the Westminster Wharton Medal.

Good luck Dr Greaves and thank you for championing endometriosis!

*SET for Britain

SET for Britain is a poster competition in the House of Commons – involving approximately 210 early stage or early career researchers – judged by professional and academic experts. All presenters are entered into either the engineering, the biological and biomedical sciences, the physical sciences (chemistry), the physical sciences (physics) session, or the mathematics session, depending on the researcher’s specialism.

SET for Britain was established by Dr Eric Wharton in 1997. Following his untimely death in 2007, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, with support from The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Institute of Physics, the Society of Biology, The Royal Society of Chemistry, The Physiological Society and the Society of Chemical Industry, is working to further his legacy.

The competition is open to early stage or early career researchers, which includes university research students, postgraduates, research assistants, postdocs, research fellows, newly-appointed lecturers, part-time and mature students, returners, those people embarking on a second career, and their equivalent in national, public sector and industrial laboratories, and appropriate final year undergraduate and MSc students, all of whom are engaged in scientific, engineering, technological or medical research.

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee run the event in collaboration with the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, the Institute of Physics, The Physiological Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Biology and the Society of Chemical Industry, with financial support from BP, the Clay Mathematics Institute, Essar, INEOS, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Germains Seed Technology, Boeing, the Bank of England and the Institute of Biomedical Science.