Anaesthetics, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine: Review of 2013

2013:  a busy and successful year, in spite of financial constraints.  So much to say: higher degrees for Ann Taylor and Ben Holst, prizes, honours and success for staff.  

Staff Changes
We lost some friends from the department in Tony Wilkes, Mark Hampson and Gareth Wood but gained a great new member of staff in Jeff Clark.  Eryl Cox is very very pleased with Jeff, among his other talents, turns out he takes excellent minutes!  
Cristina Diaz Navarro is a now Senior Lecturer, as is Neeraj Saxena which is great news.  Neeraj has his own funding streams focussing on mechanisms of sedation, while Cris is focussing on Simulation and Innovation.  Tamas Szakmany in sepsis and Michael Lim in modelling are Senior Lecturers and we have funding to extend them in the department.  

Education 
A very successful year for the Master’s programme team: they have done an excellent job getting finances sorted and launching modules.  Very exciting things with the programme goes from strength to strength.  In undergraduate education, we’ve initiated a new applied Anatomy module with Tracey Wilkinson in Anatomy. Tracey is great to work with: she should have been an Anaesthetist, she’s so energetic and proactive!  Iljaz is trying to get some research going in Anatomy, a nice opportunity. 

Research and Innovation 
The department won innovation grants and Research Council funding, industry funding and smaller grants from charities.  Brian Jenkins was a successful co-applicant on an Innovative Action grant, and I am delighted we have his expertise working with Dr Naomi Goodwin in Innovation.  The ‘DAD’ innovation project is one of the most rewarding things we do; working with Alison Paul and Chemistry and Eryl Cox in RIES is an example of just what can really be achieved by interdisciplinary research.
The CUBRIC collaboration goes from strength to strength, with a joint EPSRC funding supported by Senior Lecturer Sharmila Khot.  She’s working very hard on a complex set-up.
We continue to have Professor Mapleson in the department: just about the most famous Anaesthesia Scientist of all time, we are very lucky that he continues his research. 

Engagement
Danielle Huckle is doing a great job developing the Mushin Museum, with an engagement programme for schools.  The Museum has been given a £5000 development form Society of Anaesthetists of Wales and we are very grateful. In 2014 we plan a World War 1 memorial event, with a historical operating theatre.
Our work with Cardiff School of Art and Design continues to be valuable and effective.  Our joint PhD student Clara Watkins, is making great progress with Trauma Africa: thank you Steve Gill and Gareth Loudon. 
My own personal highlight of 2013 was the Inside Information workshop with Clod Ensemble and Welsh Millenium Centre: the Simulation Team, Anatomy and even a soprano from Welsh National Opera put on a fantastic event: educational, fun and memorable.
So much going on: as the charity Mothers of Africa continues to grow and delivers, with more educational activity in Zambia and our work with schools especially Rumney Primary is developing and very rewarding. 

Finally, the support staff Maria, Trish, Alex and Chris continue to do their usual excellent job, none of this could happen without them.  Thank you to all for pulling together in 2013.  Enclosed are a few photos.

Judith Hall