Nearing 100 members of the Department of Paediatrics braved icy pavements to come together to celebrate the festive season, and reflect on the collective efforts and successes of all.
Greeted with steaming glasses of mulled wine in the main dining hall of Harris Manchester College, spirits were quickly warmed. The Christmas tree and long, wooden tables beautifully dressed added to the festive atmosphere.
The Head of Department, Georg Hollander, took a moment between courses, to thank the department for their hard, dedicated work this year, and recognised Rebeccah Slater's Wellcome fellowship, OVG's pioneering work in improving global provision of the most effective vaccines, the Dolphin study's positive moves towards a large-scale trial, Philip Goulder's developments in disease-reduction in HIV infection, and Irene Roberts' new insights into leukemia in children with Down syndrome as notable achievements. He also confirmed that the plans for the Institute for Developmental and Regenerative Medicine will be going ahead in 2018.
After the lunch, Prof Hollander sincerely thanked organisers for planning together such an enjoyable occasion.
Thank you very much for your efforts - they are greatly appreciated by all in the department. - Georg Hollander