The Wellcome Trust Eighteenth Report (1988-1989)

WELLCOME TRUSTSENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS IN CLINICALSCIENCESENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS IN CLINICAL SCIENCETlic \Vcllcoiiie Trustees continiic to attach grcnt iiiiportmcc to tlicsc senior cliiiicd fcllowsliips.Fello\\~s sclccrcd iii tlic coiiipctirioii arc offered siipport for five ycnrs, togctlicr witli tlie cspeiiscsfi: their progrmiiiic of rcscnrch, aiid arc free to concentrate on iii-depth research iiiro problciiisrclated to cliiiical sciciicc. This ~cliciiic coiiiiiieiiccd iii 1962, niid Figure 7 sliows tlic iiiiniber ofawards iiindc cacli ycu since tlicii. Froiii modest bcgiiiiiiiigs. it is iiom possible to find five or sixindividii:ils c.icii year of siiniciciit iiicrir to justify nii award. This is all tlic iiiorc rcniarkableconsidering die iiiniiy pressiires on yooiig cliiiical sciciitists iii the prcseiir cliiiiarc, iiicliidiiig theiiicrc:ising,ly striiigcnt rcqnirciiiciirs of liiglicr clinical tniiiiiig niid accreditation.ïlic opportunity \vns tnkeii this ycx to rcvicm tlic progress of tlic scliciiic owr the last tenyears. As \\-ell :is increasing iiiiiiibcrs of nppoiiitiiiciits. there lias bceii n change iii tlic profile ofiiidividiials iioldiiig tlicse fellowsliips. Iii 1979. most fellows iii post wïrc pliysiciaiis, oftensastnstrociitrrologists. with :I few patliologists. Siiicc tlicii clic rniigc of cliiiicnl iiitercsrs liasbroadoicd. as problciiis iii s~icli subjects as allergy, rlieiiiiiatology aiid psycliiatry becoiiicniiiciinblc 10 the iieiv biology (Tigiirc 9). The ciiaiige in scieiitific espcrtise is sliowii iii Figure 8. Iii1979, clic bioiiicdical ùiscipliiics of biocliciiiistry and pliysiology doiiiinnrcd tlic scliciiic. In theciirrciit year, iucli subjects coiitiiiiic to be of iiiiportaiicc. but relatively less so coiiipnred withiiioleciilar ùiolog y. iiioleculnr gciicrics niid iiiiiiiiiiiogeiietics.Fcllo\vs nppoiiircd to this scliciiic Iinvc coiitiniicd to iiiovc to sciiior acadciiiic positions iii tlicUK aiid elsc\\4icrc. This year. four felloms moved to positioiis iiiidcr the iic~nppoiiitiiiciitdeiiiicstaff: IJrJ 1 Uellniid DrKCGnttcratOsford. IJrJayiicA FrniiklyiiatBiriiiiiigliaiii. niid IJr I'J Ciclitirn at tlic Uiiitcd Medical and Ihitnl Schools. IJr A C Cliu alsoiiiorcd to a position Iicld joiiitly berwecii tlie Royal I'osrgndiintc Medical Scliool aiid its rehtedhospitals.Six IICW fclloivs were appointed, aiid tlicsc awnrds nie iioted below. With the nppoiiitiiiciit ofDr I) M St Clair, oftlie IJcparriiiciit of I'sychintry in the Uiiivcrsity ofEdiiibiirgli. the Trust isiiow siipportiiig ns sciiior fellows leaders of two of die iiiaiii grotips making progress towardsiiiidcrstntidiiig of tlic iiiolcciilar geiictics of scliizoplireiiin aiid otlier iii:qor psychiatric disease.Two oftlie iicw fcllows arc sriidying allergic discnsc oftliï respiratory tract: Ilr W O C Cooksoiiartlie Uiiiversity ofOxford is coiitinuiiig his studies oil the gaietic basis tliatheaiid his collcqp~Iiavc dcscribed for ntopy, niid 131 Ilobyii E OHcliir at tlic Royal I'ostgnduatc Medical Scliool isworking on tlic iiiiiiiiiiioclieiiiistry oftlie T cell rcsponsc to coninion respintory allcrgciis.I 3839