WELCOME TO THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER

There are a number of opportunities coming up for members to serve on the BLTG committee so please get involved and help to shape the future of BLTG.

Detailed below are the elected committee posts that are coming to the end of tenure in September 2022:

BLTG Chair - elected by the membership. The post holder will serve for a period of up to 3 years and may be re-elected once. The BLTG Chair is a member of the BASL Governing Board and sits on the BASL Committee:
Read more about this post here:  Download BASL Committee Posts_Information June 22.pdf

Transplant Hepatology Representative - elected by the membership and will serve for a period of 3 and 2 years alternating - this post is for a period of 3 years.

Transplant Surgery Representative - elected by the membership and will serve for a period of 2 and 3 years alternating - this post is for a period of 2 years.

Nursing Representative (x1 post) - elected by the membership and will serve for a period of 2 years. The 2 x nursing representatives represent patient care before and after liver transplantation respectively.

BASL and BLTG are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its work. It is actively promoting equal opportunities and access for all our members regardless of their background. We would, therefore, encourage you to consider joining the BASL and BLTG committees to help to shape the future of BASL and increase our inclusivity/inclusiveness.

Nomination Process
Please send your nominations, clearly stating the position that your nomination is for, to the BASL Secretariat at judy@basl.org.uk by the deadline of 09:00hrs Tuesday 19th July 2022.

Candidates wishing to be considered for nomination must be a member of BASL and will require one BASL member to propose them and a second BASL member to confirm their suitability for the role in writing. (Proposing and seconding of candidates can be done by email.)

If more than one candidate is nominated for a particular post the Secretariat will arrange for an election of all members. Should an election need to take place the Secretariat will contact the candidates and request a personal statement. The statement should contain no more than approx. 300 words and permission will be requested to share the personal statements with the BASL membership. (Personal statements are intended for this purpose only.)

The successful candidate will be elected by a simple majority of those members voting.

Newly elected committee members will join the BASL and/or BLTG committee after the BLTG Transplant Meeting in September, which is being held as part of the BASL Annual Meeting in Leeds from 20th- 23rd September 2022.

If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact judy@basl.org.uk .

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Gilead UK & Ireland 2022 Viral Hepatitis Fellowship Grants Programme is now accepting applications for funding. The Fellowship Programme is a medical grants funding stream that helps drive innovative diagnostic/care models and supports best practice sharing initiatives amongst healthcare professionals. Since 2008, the programme has supported over 300 projects within several therapy areas. Its ultimate aim is to help improve the lives of patients, in the field of viral hepatitis, with a focus on hepatitis delta virus (HDV).

This year, they are inviting applications from healthcare (e.g., clinicians, nurses, pharmacists) or allied (e.g., clinical researchers, laboratory technicians) professionals for proposals that evaluate existing, or implement and evaluate new, innovative initiatives focused on increasing appropriate HDV testing alone or in combination with hepatitis B, with subsequent liver management. 

Priority will be given to those projects that focus on the optimisation of the pathways for the diagnosis and management of HDV. Gilead particularly welcomes any project that demonstrates replicable and scalable potential.

Projects that fall outside of this scope, but which will add clinical value, or which investigate an area of unmet need in the field of HDV can also be submitted. All applications will be reviewed and appraised based on their individual merit and focus on driving positive change in patient care.

Please note that any applications which generate specific patient clinical outcomes (either classified as interventional or non-interventional studies according to EUDRACT criteria) cannot be accepted. These fall under the category of a clinical trial and, as such, will be considered out of scope of the Fellowship Programme.

The application window will close on Saturday 6th August 2022. If you have a project which you think may be relevant, Gilead encourages you to learn if your project is eligible and apply here.

Should you have any general enquiries or questions regarding the process, application form, or your project eligibility, please email gileadfellowship@axon-com.com who will be happy to support you with your request.

The Andy Burroughs Young Investigator Award was set up in honour of the late Professor Andrew Burroughs.

Professor Burroughs was an eminent and world renowned Professor of Hepatology and Consultant Physician/Hepatologist and among his many achievements including his wide area of expertise in cirrhosis and portal hypertension and significant contribution to liver Transplantation.

Eligibility
This prize is awarded to young investigators who have contributed to clinical or translational research related to liver disorders who are in training or within 2 years of taking up consultant positions (or equivalent); this year the winner will receive free registration to the meeting, an award and a prize of £1,000 and an invite to deliver the prize lecture and present their research at the British Liver Transplant Group (BLTG) Annual Meeting in Leeds on Tuesday 20th September.

To apply, please send one A4 sheet outlining the research and another A4 sheet listing up to 5 related publications.

Please send submissions to steve@basl.org.uk before the deadline of Monday 1st August 2022.

You must be a BASL member to apply.

The BLTG Annual Meeting is part of the BASL Annual Meeting that is taking place from 20th-23rd September at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds - Early Bird registration closes 31st July.  Read more about registering > here .