Microbiology Society Roadshow 2021 – Birmingham

Overview

As part of our commitment to developing, expanding and strengthening the vast networks and opportunities available to our members and local communities, the Microbiology Society is pleased to announce the last Roadshow of 2021 will be held for microbiologists in Birmingham.

President Professor Judith Armitage will provide insight into what her career in microbiology has entailed and the obstacles that lay in the path to becoming a microbiologist. Attendees will have an opportunity to join a discussion with the President, find out more about publishing, grant and professional development opportunities at the Society as well as network with their peers.

The event will take place on Tuesday 2 November at Aston University, Birmingham and will be hosted by Dr Jonathan Cox, Aston University.

The event will provide delegates with the following opportunities:

• Meet the President, Professor Judith Armitage.
• Take part in a topical discussion about career paths in microbiology.
• Network with local like-minded people.
• Find out why microbiology and being part of the Microbiology Society matters.
• Learn how get more involved with the Society and find out more about publishing, grants, professional development and networking opportunities at the Society.

Who should attend?

Anyone with an interest in microbiology or wanting to find out more about the Microbiology Society based in Birmingham.

All roadshow events are free to attend. You will need to register in advance so numbers can be limited to allow for better networking and engagement during the event and Covid safety measures.  

Early registration is advised as places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

For any further enquiries, please contact the Membership Team at [email protected].

Programme

*Please note the programme is subject to change. 

Speakers

Professor Judith Armitage

Professor Judith Armitage FRS is an Emeritus Fellow of Merton College, University of Oxford, and is currently President of the Microbiology Society. Her Presidency runs for three years and began on 1 January 2019. Judy joined the Society as a PhD student in the early 1970s. She is a bacterial physiologist using interdisciplinary approaches to study bacterial behaviour. She was an editor of the Journal of Bacteriology for 10 years and is currently one of the two Editors in Chief of Current Opinions in Microbiology. She is a member of EMBO, a Fellow of the American Society of Microbiology and the Royal Society of Biology. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2013.

Dr Jonathan Cox

Dr Jonathan Cox is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology and Director of the Mycobacterial Research Group at Aston University. He has been a full member of Microbiology Society since he began his PhD studies with the incoming President, Professor Gurdyal ‘Del’ Besra FRS. His group currently consists of two PhD students and one post-doctoral researcher, along with masters and undergraduate students who decide to study with him. His team are multidisciplinary with a diverse skill-set, spanning microbiology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, structural biology and drug discovery. He currently leads teaching for first year microbiology on Biomedical Science, Biology and Biochemistry courses. His group have two main directions for their current research in terms of improving our understanding of mycobacterial physiology to inform drug discovery. The first is a project to better understand latent tuberculosis (TB) infection and how this physiological change contributes to a loss of sensitivity to many TB drugs. His group are using the technology they have developed to discover new small molecule inhibitors of latent TB that may one day make it into the clinic. The group's second research theme is in partnership with Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where they are looking at a mycobacterial infection that is common in children and adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). M. abscessus is originally an environmental mycobacterium; however, it has found a pathogenic niche within the CF lung. His team are analysing clinical isolates for antibiotic sensitivities and using these organisms to inform the development of new treatment combinations. Dr Cox has published 25 papers on various aspects of mycobacterial physiology and often engages with the public and scientific community on the subject.

Registration

To register, please contact us at [email protected]. Please book early as places are very limited.

Upon registration, you should receive a confirmation email. Please contact the Membership Team at [email protected] if you have not received a confirmation within 24 hours of registering.

Joining instructions

Closer to the event, you will receive an email containing joining instructions. Please bring a device with you containing the email as confirmation of registration or print it out before you arrive.

Venue

MB417 Lecture Theatre
Aston University
Birmingham
B4 7ET

COVID-19 safety measures

Joining instructions

Closer to the event, you will receive an email containing joining instructions. Please bring a device with you containing the email as confirmation of registration or print it out before you arrive.

COVID-19 safety measures

The safety of our attendees is our priority and the Council of the Microbiology Society recommend a series of mitigation measures alongside those implemented by the venue.

These include;

1. Wearing face masks. These should be worn at all times in indoor public spaces, including schools, shops, transport and hospitality venues. Correctly worn face masks primarily protect other people from infection, but there is also evidence that they can provide a degree of protection for the wearer.
2. Maintain social distancing. The closer you are to a COVID-positive person the more likely you are to become infected. If it is not possible to maintain social distancing you should try to minimise the time spent in close proximity to others.
3. Ventilation of indoor spaces. Where possible, ensure that doors and windows are open to provide air movement, or use mechanical ventilation methods.
4. Enhanced hand hygiene. The virus can remain infectious on some surfaces for up to three days, thus frequent cleansing with hand sanitiser or soap and water will reduce the risk of transmission via this route.

We kindly ask that you do not attend the event if you:

• Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days
• Believe you may be infected with COVID-19, whether you have symptoms or not
• Have experienced symptoms in the last 10 days
• Have been in close proximity to anyone who has experienced symptoms in the last 10 days
• Have been instructed to self-isolate

If you have any questions, please get in touch with our team at [email protected].

Venue Policy: Scientific Sessions

The below information is contained in the COVID-19 Secure guide provided by Aston University; the complete guide is also available below:

COVID-19 Secure: Staff Guidance for Safe Working on Campus

Access to entrances and exits of buildings

Where safe to do so, we will arrange the use of just one door for general access and one door for general exit to each building to help control the flow of people in and out, though building design and circumstances will be taken in to account.

Hand sanitiser units will be made available at access points or within buildings and you are advised to use these when entering and leaving buildings.

When using building entrances and exits, please consider the needs of others and respect their personal space, and not congregate around building entrances.

Corridors, stairs, and other circulation areas

The one-way systems will be retained on staircases and some corridors, creating a series of routes that should be followed when moving around buildings. You should keep to the left on all corridors to respect others using the space.

Cleaning arrangements

All teaching spaces will be cleaned regularly by the estates team. This will include disinfection of

• All work surfaces
• Hard chair arms
• Lecterns and AV equipment
• Touchpoints such as door handles

Ventilation

Lecture Theatre MB417 where the Roadshow event will take place is mechanically ventilated using supply and extract systems which introduce fresh air from outside into the space and extract used air to outside. Other smaller spaces within the University building are naturally ventilated using opening windows.

Venue Policy: Networking and Lunch

The below information has been provided directly by Aston Conference and Events team; the complete guide can be found via the following link: Conference Aston.

Courtyard Restaurant and Bar

• The spacious Courtyard Restaurant allows for socially distanced lunches for our meeting and events delegates
• Dining times for breakfast, lunch and dinner will be pre-agreed for all conference   delegates, groups and individual diners, to enable capacity management and social distancing to be adhered to.
• Conferences and events groups will be allocated specific dining   and refreshment areas   to support with   social   distancing

Cleaning and Sanitisation Measures

• Public areas, including handrails, door   handles, counter surfaces and toilets will be cleaned   and sanitised regularly
• Dining areas will be cleaned   and sanitised between services.
• Face coverings are still recommended to be worn, with guests now taking personal responsibility for wearing these as appropriate, such as enclosed spaces, stairwells and lifts, and public bathrooms.