Leading geneticist to speak at RCVS Fellowship Evening
Pictured: Professor Tim Spector.
The RCVS has announced that Professor Tim Spector, the geneticist behind the Covid symptom app, will be giving the keynote speech at its Fellowship Evening.
Professor Spector, a genetic epidemiologist at Kings College London, worked on the Covid Symptom Study app, which was used considerably over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alongside this, he has been studying a cohort of 12,000 twins for the past 25 years via the TwinsUK registry, working on the largest nutrition intervention of its kind.
The keynote address, entitled The Future of Personalised Nutrition, will see Professor Spector explain how factors such as sleep, exercise and meal times impact the body's microbiome profile, and how an understanding of these factors could influence the future of personalised nutrition.
Commenting on Professor Spector's upcoming keynote address, Professor John Innes, chair of the Fellowship Board, said: “I look forward to both welcoming our new Fellows on board, and hearing from Professor Spector during his keynote address.
“The Covid symptom-tracking app that he and his team developed has had clear real-world impacts in, for example, broadening the range of recognised symptoms of coronavirus for public health authorities.
“Meanwhile, his personalised nutrition studies have also proven invaluable for research into diverse areas such as ageing, heritability and vision, as well as diet.”
The evening will see 38 new fellows formally welcomed by RCVS president Dr Kate Richards and Fellowship Board Chair Professor John Innes, and will be the culmination of a Fellowship Week, taking place between 30 September and 7 October 2021, which will see online activities take place, including talks by current RCVS fellows.
These talks will be From bovine embryo transfer vet to Wellcome Trust Clinical Intermediate Fellow, given by Dr Mandy Peffers, The integration of webinars within our practice, given by Dr Christopher Shales, and Some discoveries of novel diseases and concepts through diagnostic veterinary pathology, given by Dr Joan Smyth.
Also given over the course of the Fellowship Week will be six fellows of the future presentation, where veterinary undergraduates and recent graduates will deliver talks on their academic research.
The six entries will be considered by a judging panel, and the winning presentation will be played in full at the Fellowship Evening.
Professor John Innes commented on the Fellowship Week and Evening: “The Fellowship Week activities and Fellowship Evening are for veterinary surgeons at all stages of their careers, whether Fellows or not, and, indeed, for veterinary students as well.
“The overall aim is to highlight the amazing knowledge and expertise contained within Fellowship and the veterinary professions as a whole and use this as an opportunity to share insights, information and inspiration.”
Anyone wishing to attend the Fellowship Evening should contact the RCVS Events Team on events@rcvs.org.uk, and the evening be recorded and available to watch live here.
RCVS Knowledge has welcomed Professor Peter Cockcroft as editor-in-chief for Veterinary Evidence. 
