Nexxus, The West of Scotland Bioscience Network, is set to hold the first event in its Horizons in Biomedicine Series, today Tuesday 23 March, at 6.30pm at Glasgow Science Centre.

"The Nexxt Big Thing in Cardiovascular Disease", as this horizon scanning event is called, will involve a series of talks and presentations by the leading experts and practitioners in the field of cardiovascular disease. Each speaker will predict the future of Cardiovascular Disease for the next ten years.

The event will be chaired by Professor Chris Packard, Research Director for North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust and Chairman of Nexxus. Professor Packard's research interest focuses on the study of cholesterol metabolism and its relationship to ischaemic heart disease.

Professor Jim Shepherd, Head of the University of Glasgow's Department of Pathological Biochemistry at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, will discuss the future of prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease. Professor Shepherd was the Principal investigator for the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCP).

Dr Malcolm Metcalfe, Consultant Cardiologist, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary will explore 'images of the future' in relation to cardiac imaging.

Dr Keith Suckling, Director and Head of the Department of Atherosclerosis Research for GlaxoSmithKline, leads drug discovery work in the field of atherosclerosis and will explore 'transforming the biology of the vessel wall'.

Professor David Wheatley, British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Glasgow, will explore 'Building the heart of the future'. Professor Wheatley's research interests are concerned with improving the outcome of surgery for valvular heart disease.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

Attendance will be free, and attendees will register in advance via the Nexxus website. The venue is the Glasgow Science Centre. If you would like to attend this event, please register via the Nexxus website.

Horizons in Biomedicine is a series of horizon scanning events in key biomedical fields. There will be three events per annum. The format of each horizon-scanning event will consist of short presentations from four experts in the field in question, looking forward to where their particular field is going in the next ten years, and what this will contribute to diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the diseases in question. This will be followed by a panel discussion, where the audience will have the opportunity to ask the experts anything about future advances in that field. The Nexxus Horizons in Biomedicine Series as an opportunity to showcase the excellent research expertise in the West of Scotland.

Nexxus is the West of Scotland Bioscience Network and was formally launched in Glasgow in September of last year. Nexxus provides a connection (a 'nexxus') by facilitating communication, knowledge-sharing and collaboration between organisations involved in bioscience related activities from both the academic and commercial sector.

For further background on each of today?s speakers and for a programme of events in the Horizon in Biomedicine Series for the next 2 years, please contact Gillian Cay (Nexxus Manager) 0141 330-4812 / g.cay@nexxusscotland.com.

First published: 23 March 2004