Shazlin Shek Daud
Final year medical student, Edinburgh
I was the presenting author for my poster presentation, titled ‘Is the combination of UV-C light and bleach less effective than bleach alone for Intensive Care Unit surface disinfection?’ at the FIS|HIS 2022 International Conference.
FIS|HIS International 2022 was held in person at the Business Design Centre, London on the 22nd and 23rd of September and virtually on the 26th of September. It is the largest UK-hosted, international infection conference and included over 35 sessions, 5 plenary lectures, debates, clinical cases and networking opportunities. There was also a poster walk where poster presenters were given the opportunity to present their work.
I was interested in attending the conference as it allowed me to share this interesting translational research in the area of decontamination with an international audience. I was also excited at the opportunity to gain knowledge and discuss scientific advances with other medical professionals and researchers from various backgrounds.
I am grateful to have been awarded the HIS Travel Grant to support my participation at the conference.
The grant helped cover my expenses, including the conference registration fee, travel to London from Edinburgh, accommodation whilst staying in London and the printing fee for my poster.
Presenting my poster at the conference provided me with the opportunity to receive invaluable feedback from infectious diseases and microbiology experts regarding my research work. Discussions with other researchers working in the field of decontamination helped me look at my project from a different perspective. This experience has also taught me to effectively communicate research findings, which is an essential skill as a researcher.
Attending the Healthcare Infection Society Lowbury social event allowed me to form connections with clinicians and academics throughout the UK. Their career journeys have inspired me to consider infectious diseases as a specialty and to incorporate research work alongside clinical work in the future.
Overall, I enjoyed attending the FIS/ HIS International Conference. The highlight, however, was being selected as a winner of the Healthcare Infection Society Poster Prize. As part of the award, I have been invited to submit a manuscript for publication in Infection Prevention in Practice with all open access fees waived. I am humbled to receive this award and am grateful for the opportunity to share the findings of my research work with the scientific community.