Join us to celebrate a special milestone for our new professors and hear about their inspiring career journeys. Doors for this event will open at 16.45, with the lectures to commence at 17.00. A drinks reception will be held immediately after the lecture at 18:00.

Registration closes at 12am on the Sunday before the lecture as King’s Venues require a list of all attendees, particularly those external to King’s 48 hours in advance of the event. If you are a member of staff wishing to attend after registration has closed, please just email communicationsunit@kcl.ac.uk to let us know.

Professor Gilbert Fruhwirth

Out of the dark – tracking friends and foes in cancer and beyond

Abstract

In this inaugural lecture, I will reflect on my personal scientific journey, from my early work in biotechnology to my enduring fascination with visualising cancer and therapeutic cells in living systems. I will describe how our advances in molecular imaging have enabled us to illuminate complex cellular behaviours, and how this insight can drive discovery science and therapy development. The motivations underpinning this work, the clinical challenges it seeks to address, and the beneficiaries of these approaches will be discussed. I will also highlight key scientific milestones, collaborations, and the mentors who have shaped my thinking and supported me along the way.

Biography

Gilbert Fruhwirth is Professor of Molecular Imaging in the School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He studied Technical Chemistry with a focus on Biotechnology at Graz University of Technology, where he also completed his PhD in Biochemistry under the auspices of Prof Hermetter. In 2006, he joined Prof Tony Ng’s laboratory at King’s College London’s Randall and Cancer Divisions, studying protein-protein interactions important for cell migration while developing imaging tools to observe cancer spread.

In 2013, he established his own research group at King’s College London’s Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine focussing on molecular imaging and cell engineering. His research exploits multi-modal multi-scale imaging to advance the understanding of cancer and to boost the development and clinical translation of advanced therapies in oncology and immune medicine.  

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Professor Lara Roberts

A road to safer care in thrombosis and haemostasis

Abstract

Prof Roberts outlines her journey from Adelaide, Australia to King's College London. She describes growing up in the rural northeastern suburbs of Adelaide and the influence of a book on her decision to pursue medicine. Prof Roberts discusses her early career pathway into haematology, her contributions to improving patient safety focussing on prevention of hospital-associated venous thromboembolism and haemostasis in liver disease. She concludes with the potential for research networks to increase access to thrombosis trials. Along the way, she pays tribute to her mentors, collaborators, colleagues, friends and family.

Biography

Dr Lara Roberts is a Consultant Haematologist at King’s College Hospital, Honorary Professor in Thrombosis and Haemostasis at King’s College London and MRC Clinical Academic Research Partnership Fellow. Dr Roberts is the clinical lead for venous thromboembolism at King’s. She is the South London NIHR RDN speciality lead for haematology and chair of the UK Thrombosis Research Network.

Dr Roberts is a member of the BSH Haemostasis and Thrombosis taskforce and co-chair for the ISTH SSC on Haemostasis and thrombosis in Liver Disease. Her current research focuses on VTE prevention in medical patients and haemostasis in acutely ill patients with advanced chronic liver disease.