Events

The LGBTQ+ Allies Network host regular social gatherings alongside larger themed events designed to spotlight the groundbreaking research of individuals who align with the LGBTQ+ community. These events aim to foster collaboration, celebrate diversity, and cultivate a supportive and inclusive culture within the Department of Brain Sciences. From informal meetups to academic symposia, our activities provide opportunities to connect, share ideas, and amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ scientists and allies.

Socials

We run regular lunchtime or evening socials to connect with staff and students across the College. We rotate our socials between the Hammersmith and White City Campuses to reach a wider audience. We will be back with more socials in the New Year, watch this space!

LGBTQ+ Allies Network Psychedelic Symposium
Thursday 3 October 2024

On the 3 October, the LGBTQ+ Allies Network hosted a Psychedelic Symposium, open for all staff and students to attend. The event featured four exciting talks from scientists who align with the LGBTQ+ community and are working at the forefront of this revolutionary field: exploring consciousness and treatments for mental health disorders. Attendees heard from Imperial academics and industry professionals at various career stages, all investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelics across diverse indications.

Dr David Erittzoe, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial, introduced the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial: a pioneering research centre set up 15 years ago. David gave an overview of the facilities, funding achievements, research projects, and clinical trials. Highlighting numerous collaborations that merge academic and clinical expertise at the College, and several successful funding bids, he emphasized the Centre's significant role in driving progress in this exciting field.

We then heard from, Joanna Vamvakopoulou, a PhD student at Imperial, who presented the PsiloIMAGINE Project: a trial investigating psychedelics as a treatment for young people who self-harm. Joanna outlined the treatment strategy used to successfully change the cognitive process maintaining self-harm behaviours. The process harnesses the increased visualisation experienced under the influence of psychedelic therapy to reframe negative feelings and associate them with positive mental imagery. She also addressed ethical considerations when offering this therapy to vulnerable young adults.

Tommaso Barba, a PhD student at Imperial, gave a fascinating historic perspective on psychedelics, tracing their early use in clinical research for psychiatric treatments and their cultural significance before research was curtailed by the 1971 Controlled Substances Act. Tomasso then discussed his work, which aims to assess the impact of psychedelics on sexual satisfaction and romantic intimacy. Preliminary findings suggest positive effects on sexual well-being, though further studies are required to generalize these results.

Finally, Dr Gary Gilmour, Vice President of Preclinical Research at Compass Pathways, shared insights into his work leading a team that investigates new and experimental compounds, including psychedelics, for treating mental health conditions.

Thanks again to all our fantastic speakers!

LGBTQ+ STEM Day Symposium
Friday 17 November 2023

On the 17 November 2023, the Allies Network invited three academics, one from Imperial and two external, who align with the LGBTQ+ community to discuss their research journey.

We heard from three excellent speakers:

• Jake Symington - PhD student, Imperial College London
  “Arginine Deprivation as a novel immunotherapy for Glioblastoma”
• Jasmine Donaldson - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University College London
  “Investigating the role of DNA repair machinery in Huntington's Disease pathogenesis using induced pluripotent stem cell models”
• Marc David-Ruepp - Reader in RNA Biology and Molecular Neurodegeneration, Kings College London
  “From RNA processing to neurodegeneration

LGBTQ+ Brains Symposium
Monday 27 February 2023

The LGBTQ+ Brains Symposium was held on the 27 February to mark LGBT History Month. The programme included three fantastic talks from scientists at different academic stages:

• Danielle Kurtin - PhD student, Imperial College London
  "From bare feet to brain: an introduction to my research on context-dependent reconfigurations in brain state topology and dynamics and a brief overview of my research journey."
• Dr Jonathan Davies - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Exeter
  "Exploring Gene Regulation in the Developing Human Brain"
• Prof Bill Wisden – Professor of Molecular Neuroscience, Imperial College London
  “How do we sleep?"