Revolutions in Biomedicine is a popular and challenging summer school facilitated by Dr Jeffrey Vernon and his team in the Faculty of Medicine. Through the summer school, students from around the world have the opportunity to come to London and study at Imperial College for a month.

Under the umbrella of Horizons Bespoke, Dr Mark Pope, Imperial Horizons Teaching Fellow, has collaborated with Dr Vernon over the past two years of the summer school to design and deliver a theme in its first week.

In 2019, the theme was entitled ‘Controversies and Frontiers in Health and Medicine’ and in the sessions students worked in teams to research controversial topics related to biomedicine. This format capitalised on the hugely diverse background of students, not just in terms of their home-countries but also with regard to their academic experience. Students investigated topics including treatments for Alzheimer's Disease, anti-microbial resistance and the use of cannabis oil for medicinal purposes.

The projects culminated culminated in a presentation of posters and recommendations for key stakeholders.  Students considered the social context of the issues to ensure that they provided holistic and realistic proposals. From health promotion campaigns to new international drug agencies, their proposals were both appropriate and innovative.  Indeed, it was a hugely rewarding experience for all and the excellent presentations highlighted the benefits of interdisciplinary collaborations for everyone involved.