Professor Avan Aihie Sayer delivers Harveian Oration

AGE Group leader and NIHR Newcastle BRC Director Professor Avan Aihie Sayer delivered the 2024 Harveian Oration at the Royal College of Physicians in London in October. The Harveian Oration is a prestigious yearly lecture followed by a dinner and is one of the oldest traditions of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). Established in 1656 by William Harvey, who discovered the principle of the circulation of the blood through the body, the tradition continues each year with a leading doctor or scientist invited to speak on issues relating to their field of work.

Avan’s topic for the oration was “From bench to bedside and beyond: new horizons for translational ageing research”. Her talk provided a fantastic showcase for ageing research and for all who contribute to research and care for older people. Her talk was characteristically generous, celebrating the work of many of her colleagues and including multiple references to the work that the AGE Research Group is engaged in, from epidemiology and the biology of ageing, through experimental medicine and clinical trials, to impacts on policy and clinical care.

Avan reflected after the event that:

‘It was an honour to give this year’s Harveian Oration. Ageing happens to everyone fortunate to live long enough but historically it has proved challenging to understand and influence. This is now changing with breakthroughs emerging across scientific disciplines including the biology of ageing, clinical trials for older people and life course epidemiology.

‘We are poised for an exciting era of translational ageing research with opportunities to build an interdisciplinary clinical and academic community, develop national initiatives, involve patients and the public, and link closely to the needs of the NHS.’

The Harveian oration is one of the highest profile lectures in UK Medicine, and Avan is the first geriatrician to be invited to give the oration in the four hundred years since its founding. Other recent orators include Professor Sir Chris Whitty (now chief medical officer for England) and Lord (Patrick) Vallance (now minister of state for science). In the AGE Research Group, we are all very proud of Avan’s achievement in being nominated for this oration. We are delighted that the work that she leads, and the field of ageing research more broadly, is being recognised and reaching new audiences.

The 2024 Harveian Oration is now available to watch on demand on RCP Player.

Adapted with thanks to RCP

Last modified: Mon, 18 Nov 2024 13:30:59 GMT