Dean of BSMS Professor Richard McManus, MP Chris Ward and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex Professor Michael Luck

Professor Claire Smith invites guests to experience a virtual lab

The achievements of Brighton and Sussex Medical School’s (BSMS) first two decades were celebrated with a reception in Parliament on 20 November.

MPs and Peers from both Houses met staff, students and alumni from the University of Sussex, the University of Brighton, and BSMS, to find out about innovations in research and teaching at the jointly led medical school.

High praise was given to the medical school’s inclusive policy for recruitment, with almost 30 percent of its students coming from non-university backgrounds – often from the local region.

BSMS alumna Dr Emma Taylor-Gallardo gave a speech in which she described how, through BSMS’s local outreach scheme, BrightMed, she first began to engage with the idea of studying medicine as a 13-year-old.  She is now in her first year as a resident doctor in the NHS in Brighton.

She also referenced her partner, Aaron Phillips, who initially trained and worked as an electrician before gaining a place at BSMS via an Access to Higher Education course.

She said: “At the time, BSMS was one of the only medical schools that accepted students from that Access course. If it wasn’t for places like BSMS pushing forward for diversity and inclusion, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to train.”

Echoing support for the medical school’s efforts in working with and recruiting from local communities, Chris Ward, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, who spoke at the event the event, said: “This defines what can be done differently and is a blueprint for what the government can take forward in how we can revolutionise health care and medicine.”

"flourishing"

The opening speech was made by Professor Michael Luck, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, who highlighted how BSMS had become “a flourishing and vital part of the national and global landscape of medical education and research”.

He said the medical school, which has trained more than 2000 students since 2003, was “punching well above its weight in terms of size and for the investment that has been made in it.”

He went on: “It is a wonderful exemplar of how universities working together and in partnership with the NHS, and with research funders, and philanthropists, create new knowledge, new therapies, new treatments and - above all – a sense of hope for everyone – for all of us who depend on our precious NHS for our lives and wellbeing.”

Professor Richard McManus, Dean of BSMS, praised his predecessor Malcolm Reed, who led BSMS for 10 years until last August. “Under his leadership, the medical school went from strength to strength, growing and developing its distinctive education and research environment.”

Professor McManus looked forward to the potential establishment of a dental school within BSMS, adding that he had personally experienced the ‘dental desert’ of the South East. “I’m new to Brighton and I can’t get a dentist.”

He said he was also looking forward to the creation of a graduate-entry programme for medicine “which would allow us to tap into a broader pool of candidates, including those who may be coming into medicine as a second career.”

With the first admissions to the new course expected in 2027, he said: “This initiative aligns with our commitment to widening participation and making medical education accessible to individuals from all backgrounds.”

Alison Bennet, MP for Mid Sussex, added: “It was brilliant to be able to meet many of BSMS’s talented staff and students to mark their anniversary. Their pioneering work in widening participation has opened the door for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study medicine —many of whom might never have considered it a possibility.”

showcase

Guests also had the opportunity to meet several researchers from across BSMS, whose work was showcased.

Professor Claire Smith and Danya Stone played a clip from the groundbreaking ‘My Dead Body’ Channel 4 documentary, which told the story of body donor Toni Crews. They also gave guests the opportunity to use ultrasound probes and experience a VR tour of their anatomy lab and surgery. 

Dr Mahmoud Maina and PhD student Zaid Muhammad were available to discuss their research into how ancestry may impact the risks of developing Alzheimer’s. 

Professor Michelle West explained the technology involved in genome editing and the ethics issues that result, and the mechanisms of how painkillers and other drugs work in the body.

And Professor Miguel Maravall brought along an open-source 3D printed microscopes, which are used to train students from the Global South in diagnosis of malaria and other healthcare applications.