Clinical Pharmacology student wins research prize at flagship pharmacology meeting

Published: 08 November 2021

Second year Clinical Pharmacology student, Virada Ravindran, recently won a poster competition at an international conference run by the British Pharmacological Society. Virada presented the best clinical poster on her research project ‘Evolution of drugs used to treat cardiovascular disease from 1981 to 2021’.  

Virada begins, “The title of my research project was ‘Evolution of drugs used to treat cardiovascular disease from 1981 to 2021.’ The overall aim was to describe how drugs licensed for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in the UK (listed in chapter 2 of the British National Formulary) have evolved from 1981 to 2021.  

“I decided to include sections on the background, methods, results, discussion and conclusion of my research in the poster as a way of telling the story of how my project came together. As the poster is more of a visual aid, I didn’t crowd it with too much information, I only extracted the key points from my project. That was a bit of a challenge as I felt all of the parts of my research were important!    

“My submission meant I did not need to present to a live audience but I was definitely very nervous about the questions that I would be asked from the panel who would view/mark my poster. It was an amazing albeit nerve-racking experience.  

“Being able to be take part in such a prestigious event and showcase my findings to like–minded individuals, alongside very reputable members from the pharmaceutical ‘world’, was an honour and a privilege. Winning a prize was the cherry on top of the cake!  

“Studying Clinical Pharmacology at St George’s has been an eye–opening experience for me. I joined the course not knowing much at all about how important pharmacology is in everyday life and now, in my final year, I can definitely say it is crucial to the medical industry. I have been able to see just how important it has been during the Covid-19 pandemic with the development of new drugs and vaccines.   

“Working as a sample processor in St George’s Covid-19 testing centre also really highlighted how the content taught on the course is used in the real world. With such a well–structured and designed course, alongside the passionate course team, I have enjoyed every minute of my learning. The course team really push you to achieve your best, but at the same time have been shaping us for graduate life by teaching a variety of knowledge and skills.”