Running Mad Professor

I spent most of Medicine 2026 dashing between parallel sessions trying to hear everything - from the impact of TikTok and ChatGPT on symptom-based disorders, to lessons from RCP invited reviews, to global health challenges at mass gatherings like the Hajj.

Thankfully, the catch-up sessions are now available on MedPlayer, so you can watch the ones you missed (or revisit the best bits properly this time). You won’t want to miss them!

Following the recent Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius expedition ship, UK researchers have launched a rapid-response study using ISARIC’s pre-approved outbreak protocol.

The work will help researchers better understand how the virus spreads, why some infections become severe, and how outbreak responses can be improved in future.

An important example of research readiness and collaboration in action.

Read more: https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2026/05/21/uk-launches-a-study-of-andes-hantavirus-using-a-pre-approved-outbreak-protocol/

UK launches a study of Andes hantavirus using a pre‑approved outbreak protocol - University of Liverpool News UK launches a study of Andes hantavirus using a pre‑approved outbreak protocol

Anti-malarial tablets from 1988; my first overseas work trip, as a medical student joining Professor Nick White in Thailand who was studying malaria and meliodosis in Ubon Ratchathani. He was an inspirational and brilliant doctor and researcher, sorely missed by all those who knew him. And that was my first foray into tropical medicine and global health. Even back then, I think I was aware that those few weeks in Thailand were setting the direction for the rest of my life. Mentors and role models are so important in research and medicine.

I never needed the antimalarials, and they’ve been lying in an old medicine bag ever since.

Should I throw them away? My family accuse me of being a terrible hoarder! What do you think?

Yesterday's UK Health Security Agency One Health annual vector-borne disease surveillance report is a timely reminder that tick- and mosquito-borne infections are an increasing public health concern in the UK. Lyme disease remains the most common vector-borne infection in England, and tick-borne encephalitis is another important emerging threat that our work has helped to identify in the UK.

We are proud that our work in the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, a partnership with UKHSA, is contributing to this nationally important agenda. Established in 2014, the Unit has brought together UKHSA, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine - LSTM, University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to strengthen the evidence base for predicting, preventing, and responding to emerging and zoonotic infections.

That includes research on tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis, as well as other vector-borne and emerging infection threats. The report underlines why this kind of surveillance matters and why a One Health approach is so important for understanding and controlling infection risks across humans, animals, and the environment.

The Health Protection Research Unit provides a perfect platform for public health authorities and academia to work closely together on high-impact research that helps protect the UK from emerging infection threats.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-and-partners-publish-first-one-health-annual-vector-borne-disease-surveillance-report

With growing demands on clinician researchers, programmes like this are vital. Investing in early- and mid-career clinical academics is key to sustaining innovation, advancing patient care, and developing the next generation of research leaders.

This new initiative from the Royal College of Physicians has been made possible through the generosity and vision of the Dwyer-Hart Medical Research CIO.

Please share with colleagues, trainees, and clinician scientists who may find it relevant.

The Dwyer-Hart RCP Medical Research grant is currently open to and , with up to £60,000 research funding available.

Applications are welcome from across all areas of health and medicine. Your projects should:

🔵 demonstrate clear translational potential

🔵 bridge laboratory science and patient-facing care

🔵 show a credible pathway to tangible health impact

🔵 be feasible within the funding and timeframe.

👉Find out more and apply today: https://ow.ly/qMWZ50Z13Bv

🗓️Applications close Sunday 7 June.

A pleasure to join colleagues yesterday for the Brain Infection and Inflammation Group Steering Committee meeting.

Encouraging to see the excellent progress being made across the BIIG research programme, alongside the continued commitment and collaboration from everyone involved.

Looking forward to seeing the impact this work can continue to deliver as we support the development of new initiatives and future research priorities.

An excellent resource for clinicians looking to build confidence in the diagnosis and management of encephalitis in both adults and children.

Well worth exploring and sharing across your networks.

🧠 Reminder: FREE Encephalitis Training Modules Are Available!

Deepen your knowledge of encephalitis diagnosis and management in adults and children with these interactive, case-based learning modules.

🎓 Earn 2 x 1 CPD hours
💻 Two online courses designed for doctors

Supported by Encephalitis International. Developed and hosted by BMJ Learning — free for registered users for three years.

Module 1: Encephalitis Diagnosis in Adults and Children
🩺 Explore infectious and autoimmune causes of encephalitis
🔍 Identify common and atypical clinical presentations
🧪 Learn how to choose the right investigations to support diagnosis

Module 2: Encephalitis Management in Adults and Children
💊 Discover early empiric and targeted treatment strategies
🔬 Interpret investigation results to guide management and confirm cause
🧠 Understand potential long-term cognitive, psychiatric, and physical effects and the importance of rehabilitation

👉 Access the modules here: https://new-learning.bmj.com/collection/30000415

Had a terrible time at the Royal College of Physicians Medicine 2026 meeting this week…

…the agony of parallel sessions!

First there was the fascinating session “Symptom-Based Disorders in the Era of TikTok and ChatGPT”, exploring functional disorders and medically unexplained symptoms, and how we can better care for these patients. There was particularly interesting discussion about the impact of social media and online information on such conditions.

At exactly the same time was the excellent “When Things Go Wrong” session, looking at lessons learned from the RCP invited reviews process, where teams from the College are invited into organisations and departments that are struggling, to help understand the challenges and support improvement. Honest, thoughtful, and hugely important discussions.

And there was “Crowds, Crises and Chronic Disease: Medicine at a Global Scale”, led by RCP Global, bringing together experts to explore how physicians can deliver safe, effective care when patient needs extend far beyond the clinic. The session ranged from scaling hepatitis B treatment to reach hundreds of millions worldwide, to the clinical and public health challenges of mass gatherings such as the Hajj.

So I spent much of the meeting rushing around between rooms trying to learn about everything.

Then I remembered that all the talks are available afterwards on MedPlayer, which is fantastic!

The ridiculous thing is that as Academic VP, I’m responsible for the programme. Maybe we should ditch parallel sessions altogether..?

Huge thanks to all the speakers, organisers and the fabulous RCP conferences team.

If you want to catch up on these and other highlights from the conference, you can watch them all on MedPlayer here: https://www.rcpmedicine.co.uk/2026

“70% of physicians think AI can improve healthcare, but 68% say the NHS still isn’t digitally ready.”

Today at the Royal College of Physicians Medicine 2026 conference, a fascinating discussion on the AI in the NHS with Anne Kinderlerer, Alastair Denniston and Jess Morley.

The discussion captured both the excitement and the realism around AI in medicine: clinicians increasingly see AI as a tool that can support diagnosis, workflow and patient care but many remain concerned about infrastructure, interoperability, governance, bias and implementation.

What came through strongly in the panel discussion was the need to build AI in a way that is clinically useful, locally relevant, and centred on patients and the people using it every day. It was a valuable reminder that the real test of innovation is not just what it can do, but how well it improves care in practice

Some key themes emerging:

- AI must support, not replace, clinical judgement
- Poor interoperability remains a major barrier
- Regulation and ethics need to evolve alongside innovation
- Doctors need much more training and support in AI literacy
- NHS digital maturity remains highly variable

A few memorable themes from the panel:
- “The challenge is not whether AI is coming. It already has.”
- “Bad systems digitised are still bad systems.”
- “Trust is earned through safety, transparency and real-world benefit.”

An important discussion about how we move from hype to meaningful clinical impact.

Are you a clinical academic physician with a PhD, who has a brilliant idea for some impactful research that bridges scientific discovery and real-world patient care?

The Dwyer-Hart RCP Medical Research Grant may be for you.

▪️ Up to £60,000 in research funding
▪️ Support for a 12-month project
▪️ Opportunities to present work at the Royal College of Physicians Annual Conference

Eligibility:
To be eligible, applicants must:
▪️ Be a collegiate member or fellow of the RCP (successful applicants who are not yet members must join prior to grant commencement)
▪️ Be based at a UK academic or clinical institution
▪️ Have confirmed institutional support and a named supervisor
▪️ Have a PhD

Applications in all areas of health and medicine will be considered; however, projects should enable research that bridges science and patient care and have a tangible health impact.

Please submit your completed application and short CV by email to: [email protected]
The deadline for applications is Sunday 7 June 2026 at 23:59pm.
For more information, please contact the Development Officer:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)203 075 1568.

At a time when clinician researchers face increasing pressures, initiatives like this are incredibly important. Supporting early and mid-career clinical academics is essential if we are to continue driving innovation, improving healthcare, and building the next generation of research leaders. This exciting new initiative from the Royal College of Physicians is supported through the generosity and vision of the Dwyer-Hart medical research CIO.

Please do share with colleagues, trainees, and clinician scientists who may be interested.

https://www.rcp.ac.uk/membership/funding-and-awards/the-dwyer-hart-rcp-medical-research-grant/

University of Liverpool | Academy of Medical Sciences | University of Oxford | National Institute for Health and Care Research