College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine

Edinburgh student wins British Thoracic Society Medical Student Prize for 2016

Final year MBChB student and Medical Student Council vice-convener, Sam Williams has been awarded the British Thoracic Society Medical Student Prize for 2016.

Sam Williams is presented with the BTS Medical Student Prize for 2016

Sam was awarded the prestigious prize at the Society’s annual scientific meeting in London on 7 December. His presentation was entitled ‘Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces neutrophil cell death which is reversed by hypoxia’. The work stemmed from his SSC4a project.

SSC4a projects are carried out by all medical students in an area of their choice. The key focus for students is to develop both research and professional skills. The project can include clinical audit, quality improvement, systematic review writing or laboratory work. 

Sam carried out his project in the Walmsley lab in the MRC Centre for Inflammation Research at the QMRI.  The research looked at the origins  of cystic fibrosis, which a  chronic inflammatory lung disease.

I was delighted to win the BTS Medical Student Prize and owe a huge thanks to my supervisors Dr Rebecca Dickinson, Dr Sarah Walmsley, and Professor Moira Whyte. 

Sam Williams

Highly competitive field

The BTS Medical Student Awards are prestigious prizes awarded within a very competitive field. They recognise the very best basic, translational or clinical research performed in the UK respiratory community by medical students. Sam was awarded the prize based on the quality and content of the research he carried out and the abstract he submitted.

Related links

Edinburgh Medical School 

The Centre for Inflammation Research 

The British Thoracic Society