Each year the ICS offers members a range of awards, scholarships and fellowships. The awards are intended for early career professionals, allied health and non-medical professions or those from less economically developed countries who wish to further their clinical, research or practice experience related to bladder or bowel care. The goal of the award programme is to encourage career development, networking, evidence-based practice and research collaboration.
Three ICS members recently completed their studies at their host centres and share their experiences with their ICS colleagues:
- 2016 ICS Pfizer Fellowship- Research, Nipaporn Konthapakdee, UK
- 2016 ICS Pfizer Fellowshp - Urodynamics, Dulce Oliveira, Portugal
- 2016 ICS Pfizer Fellowship - Neuro-Urology, Elena Tur, Moscow
So what did our fellows and scholars learn?
Miss Nipaporn Konthapakdee a PhD student in Biomedical Science was awarded the Pfizer Research Fellowship at the at the visceral pain group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia. Miss Konthapakdee applied for the fellowship whilst working on her PhD project investigating the peripheral role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on bladder sensory (afferent) signalling. Miss Konthapakdee stated that the fellowship helped her to "extend my PhD research and learn new experimental techniques, but I also met other people interested in the field of urology."
Mrs Dulce Oliveira a PhD student in Urology was awarded the ICS Pfizer Neuro-Urology Fellowship under Margot Damaser and Howard Goldman at the Cleveland Clinic. Mrs Oliveira applied for the fellowship whilst studying her doctorate in Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. Mrs Oliveira stated that the experience provide her with “expert contacts and possible future partnerships. The site is a great host for those who want to focus on pelvic floor dysfunction, ranging from the diagnosis to its correction and including the latest research in animal models"
Dr Elena Tur a Urologist was awarded the ICS Pfizer Neuro-Urology Fellowship under Giulio Del Popolo at the Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy. Dr Tur applied for the fellowship whilst working as an urologist in Moscow. Dr Tur stated that the fellowship provided her with "a very clear conception of using different treatment options, which we use in Russia with limitations due to bureaucracy issues (sacral neuromodulation, robotic bladder augmentation). Taking part in retrospective research about male sling in neurogenic patients was a unique possibility for me, as there were very rare and challenging cases in urology and neurourology."
To read the full reports please click on the below links for more information.
Additional Information:
ICS Awards and Fellowships
Pfizer Fellowship Report 2016 - Nipaporn Konthapakdee
Pfizer Fellowship Report 2016 - Dulce Oliveira
Pfizer Fellowship Report 2016 - Elena Tur
How to turn £50,000 into £1.7 million funding!