'The complexity of life is nowhere near being understood' says top academic at Cranfield conference

(PhysOrg.com) -- The level of understanding of the complexity of life and the engagement between the science community and the public were questioned by top academics during Cranfield University’s Repairing the Body health conference last week.

The event featured a world-class line-up of science professionals including Professor Lord Robert Winston and Professor Paul Moss, Head of Cancer Sciences and Cancer Research UK Institute of Studies, University of Birmingham.

Professor Moss stated that 'if life was to be compared to an Aston Martin DB7, we are just at the stage of blowing the dust off the bonnet' whereas Professor Lord Winston questioned the engagement of the science community with the public. This argument was backed up by Julian Hitchcock, the Senior Associate of Life Sciences at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP and Director of East of England Stem Cell Network. He said: “We are good at science but not good at translating it.”

The event organised and held at Cranfield Health also discussed the gap between research and industry and possible treatment for viral infections to mending the spinal cord through the emerging fields of translational medicine - how research is translated from the laboratory bench into the clinic - and regenerative medicine.

Professor Richard Aspinall, Head of Cranfield Health’s Translational Medicine Department and organiser of the event, said: “I am delighted at the range of speakers that attended our conference, and the calibre of talks that they presented. The event showed the breadth of work that is at the stage of being translated into something that is clinically acceptable. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for their hard work and for the speakers for making the event such a success.”

Provided by Cranfield University