Medical student wins Best Poster Prize at East Midlands Student Research Conference

Medical student, Jia Yin Tan, has won the Best Poster Prize at at the East Midlands Student Research Conference (EMSRC).  Her poster was entitled 'Pre-eclampsia: Effect of Hypoxia on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Human Placenta'. Her research was part of her third-year BMedSci project, supervised by Dr Lopa Leach (School of Life Sciences) and Dr Vincent Pang (Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine).

The BMedSci degree is a key part of the undergraduate medical course at the University of Nottingham and provides all our students with a strong scientific grounding for moving onto the clinical phases of the course. Students on our 5- and 6-year Medicine programmes graduate with two degrees - the BMedSci and BMBS.

The project focuses on pre-eclampsia, specifically looking at the effect of hypoxia on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in the human placenta. The findings showed that hypoxia increased VEGF165a and VEGF165b secretions, with a larger increase in VEGF165b levels. Insights into the protective role of VEGF165b  as a compensatory effect casts light on the possibility of specific novel therapeutic targets in the management and treatment of pre-eclampsia. 

Speaking of her research, Jia Yin said: "Not only does VEGF play a role in the obstetrics department, we have also seen this growth factor in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. I believe with further research into the mechanisms of this growth factor, it will be exciting to see how this will revolutionise the clinical aspects of many diseases with new treatments in the future. This experience has given me insights into the world of research and how the discoveries translate into clinical practice. Undoubtedly, my research and presentation skills have improved, both of which will be invaluable in the field of medicine. I would like continue my aspirations of getting involved in research alongside clinical practice as a doctor in my future career."

Now in its fourth year, the East Midlands Student Research Conference aims to provide medical students from across the region with an opportunity to network, present their research and gain advice from successful clinical academics.