The Academy of Medical Sciences, 41 Portland Place, London Middlesex England

The new headquarters for the Academy of Medical Sciences at 41 Portland Place will open in the autumn of 2010 following a complete overhaul of the facilities and services in a £5 million refurbishment. View further information on our refurbishment.

We are extremely grateful to everyone who has donated so far, we welcome further support.  View details of how to make a donation.

Room hire at 41 Portland Place - Available from October 2010

41 Portland Place is a beautiful Georgian townhouse built in 1773 by the leading architects of the time, Robert and James Adam. Originally designed as a grand private residence, the building still contains a wealth of attractive period features.

Arranged over three floors, the conference and meeting rooms combine state-of-the-art facilities with period elegance.  The conference venue is open to customers from across the charitable, public and commercial sectors in the UK and beyond.

Rooms available include:

• A selection of period and modern meeting rooms seating between 8 and 80 people.
• A purpose built lecture theatre for 50 people.
• An elegant council chamber available for board meetings, small lectures, dinners and drinks receptions.
• Contemporary exhibition space.
• Outdoor terrace.

Rooms are equipped with state of the art audiovisual facilities, video-conferencing and wi-fi internet access. The highest standards of service are provided from the in-house facilities and IT teams. First class catering is also provided, ranging from light refreshments to fine dining as required. 41 Portland Place is in a prime location in the heart of London with excellent accessibility and transport links.

For information on room bookings at 41 Portland Place visit www.41portlandplace.com or enquiries@41portlandplace.com


Unfortunately we are no longer able to provide overnight accommodation at 41 Portland Place.

The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent body in the UK representing the whole spectrum of medical science. Our mission is to ensure better healthcare through the rapid application of research to the practice of medicine.

We achieve this by:

• Providing expert, evidence based information and advice on the latest developments in medical science.
• Supporting the development of a first class medical science workforce.
• Championing the UK’s medical research strengths in academia, in the NHS and in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Our elected Fellows are central to our success; it is their diversity of talent and expertise that enables the Academy to bring authoritative opinion and influence to complex issues of 21st Century medical science and healthcare.

We are:

• An independent, national resource of excellence and expertise in medical science and healthcare.
• Networked to leaders and key influencers in medical science in the UK and abroad.
• Responsive, dynamic and innovative. 

History

The Academy of Medical Sciences was established in 1998 following the recommendations of a working group chaired by Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS PRSE HonFREng FMedSci.

Our establishment brought together biomedical scientists and clinical academics within a single national organisation with the express purpose of promoting the translation of advances in medical science into benefits for patients and the population at large.

The formation of the Academy has been documented in ‘First steps: a personal account of the formation of the Academy of Medical Sciences’ by founder President, Professor Sir Peter Lachmann.

Since our formation we have elected a Fellowship of over 980 leading medical scientists and scholars from hospitals, academia, industry and the public service.

During our first decade, we have become an integrated, national resource, outside the framework of Government, with the expertise and authority to deal with public policy issues in healthcare in their wide scientific and societal context.

In November 2008 we celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a special dinner held at the Wellcome Trust.

Following a merger with the Novartis Foundation in 2008 we will move to our first dedicated headquarters building at 41 Portland Place in autumn 2010.

Formation of the Academy of Medical Sciences

The establishment of a medical academy in the UK on the eve of the 21st century was a bold move. This issue had been much debated for over 50 years and the outcome was uncertain. First steps: a personal account of the formation of the Academy of Medical Sciences’ is written by the Academy’s founder President, Sir Peter Lachamnn FRS FMedSci. This brief history pays tribute to the commitment and the foresight of the many key individuals who played a prominent role in the creation of the Academy.

Drawing upon his notes, diaries and personal recollections, Sir Peter describes the painstaking steps that were taken to win over the different constituencies within the medical community. The documents and correspondence included in the appendices illustrate the detailed process that underpinned the work involved.

Merger with the Novartis Foundation

The Novartis Foundation, and its predecessor the Ciba foundation, had a distinguished history in the promotion of international discussion of biomedicine. The Foundation was best known for its scientific symposia, which were held at the Foundation’s headquarters at 41 Portland Place. From 1947-2008, thousands of scientists attended meetings at 41 Portland Place, including some 84 Nobel Laureates. These prestigious symposia were published as reports. View information on how to order titles still in print. 

The Novartis Foundation closed in 2008, following the Trustees’ decision to merge with the Academy of Medical Sciences. The Academy is currently undertaking a £5 million programme of refurbishment at 41 Portland Place. The building will re-open as the new Academy headquarters in Autumn 2010, and will incorporate both office space and first class conference and meeting rooms. The Academy is proud to be associated with the legacy of the Novartis Foundation, and we look forward to welcoming scientists back to 41 Portland Place in 2010, when the building’s history as a centre for biomedical discussion can flourish once again.

Our Objectives

The Academy seeks to play a pivotal role in determining the future of medical science in the UK, and the benefits that society will enjoy in years to come. We champion the UK’s strengths in medical science, promote careers and capacity building, encourage the implementation of new ideas and solutions – often through novel partnerships - and help to remove barriers to progress.

Throughout all our work the Academy strives to demonstrate our key attributes of excellence, independence, leadership, diversity and flexibility.

We have clear goals to guide our work, and a well-researched and considered programme to reach our objectives. At the heart of our strategy are these objectives:

1. To encourage the pursuit of internationally competitive medical science and the translation of that knowledge, and its associated technologies, from the laboratory bench to the delivery of healthcare.
2. To influence the development and implementation of national policy in matters of medical science and healthcare.
3. To engage with the public to build confidence in the practice of medical research and to address public concerns.
4. To attract and develop the brightest individuals to careers in biomedical science.
5. To contribute to developments and improvements in global health.

Registered Charity No. 1070618
Registered Company No. 3520281

Academy of Medical Sciences
10 Carlton House Terrace
London
SW1Y 5AH

020 7969 5288

info@acmedsci.ac.uk

The Academy will move to a new headquarters at 41 Portland Place in Autumn 2010.