Chi Onwurah was briefed about the University’s plans for Research and Innovation on the new Life Sciences campus at Whitechapel, and its commitment to delivering projects that have local, national, and global benefit.
The impacts of Queen Mary University of London’s research and the strategic projects flowing from this were discussed at a recent meeting with Labour MP Chi Onwurah, the Shadow Minister for Science, Research & Innovation and Professor Andrew Livingston, the University’s Vice-Principal for Research and Innovation.
Professor Livingston explained Queen Mary’s ongoing strategy to create an ecosystem in Whitechapel that places research excellence at its heart, alongside delivering an innovation zone whose projects benefit Queen Mary’s local communities, and further communities nationally and globally.
Professor Livingston also discussed Queen Mary’s commitment to increasing the diversity PhD students, supporting the University’s target to diversity at all levels of its research community over 2023. Queen Mary student, Jordan Marajh, spoke about his participation in the Queen Mary/IBM research internship programme, which helped him to see that a research career was for him and led to him studying for a PhD in Mathematical Sciences at the University.
A highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Professor Chris Shaw, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific and Clinical Advisor, Lisa Deschamps, CEO and Graeme Fielder COO of AviadoBio, a new Queen Mary Bioenterprises (QMB) Centre start-up which focusses on advanced therapeutics. The AviadoBio senior team explained to Chi Onwurah about how the incubation space and their links with Queen Mary help them grow.
Professor Andrew Livingston said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome Chi, giving us all the opportunity to connect about the ways our University works with others to discover, create and innovate. Our mission is to generate new knowledge, challenge existing knowledge, drive economic growth and engage with others for the public good to create a better world. Sharing this mission with politicians is important as it’s our view that government policies to support and drive innovation are vital for the future of the UK economy and the university sector.”
Chi Onwurah MP commented: “It was fantastic to visit Queen Mary’s BioEnterprises Innovation Centre and learn about their work across campus to build a local engine of innovation in the heart of East London. It was good to hear about their rigorous focus on diversity and inclusion, and the steps they are taking to foster innovation and encourage and support spins outs, as well as increasing the social mobility of low-income students.”
Also at the event was Jordan Marajh, a PhD student who said: “It was also a pleasure to meet Chi and to explain to her my PhD work through the internship programme. The purpose of the meeting helped to reinforce the work of academic researchers and the vital role they play in helping to formulate policies for science, research, and innovation. Chi very much understands this important link between academia and policy formation that ultimately benefits the economy.”
At the meeting, Professor Livingston highlighted other recent examples of the University’s innovative and collaborative projects, including:
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