This is a recurring event: View all events in the series “Spotlight on Science”
The event will describe scientific research in extreme conditions as experienced by two City St George’s men, Dr Edward Wilson in 1910 and Dr Scott Pallett in 2025 – how to do it and the hurdles of the Antarctic.
The event will be presented by Dr Cathy Corbishley and Dr Scott Pallett. It will compare and contrast the work of two City St George’s doctors and researchers in the Antarctic.
Cathy will discuss the life of Dr Edward Adrian Wilson, using records from City St George’s archives. Edward Wilson trained as a doctor at City St George's (formerly St George's) in the 1890s but was also passionate about natural history and a talented artist. He joined Captain Robert Falcon Scott on the Discovery Expedition in 1901 as Junior surgeon and they formed a close and lifelong friendship. In 1910 he was chief scientific officer on Scott's Terra Nova Expedition but died with Scott on their return from the South Pole in 1912.
Dr Cathy Corbishley's talk focuses on Wilson's life, both before and after Antarctica, and his work as a scientist and artist.
Cathy is a retired Consultant Senior Lecturer in Cellular Pathology and more recently has volunteered in the St George's Medical School Archives where she studied and catalogued the items relating to Edward Wilson.
Major Scott Pallett is a senior medical microbiology and infectious diseases registrar for the British Army, who has been working at St. George’s Hospital for the past 6 years. He is currently studying for a PhD in Infection and Immunity at City St George's. In 2025, he undertook a two man expedition in Antarctica, in which he climbed Mount Erebus to collect microbial samples to further our understanding of environmental microbiomes. En route, he visited the Terra Nova Hut to pay respects to Edward Wilson’s achievements. His talk will describe why research in Antarctica is important, and the logistic and very dangerous hurdles that still need to be overcome , even with the latest technology.
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