Generation Scotland Symposium

Generation Scotland Symposium

Date: 26th August 2025

Location: Playfair Library Hall and on-line

Join us in-person or online for a day of engaging discussions, networking and learning as we celebrate the 20th year of Generation Scotland .

The symposium will bring together founding, past and current researchers, supporters as well as volunteers from across Scotland.

Prominent researchers who have collaborated with Generation Scotland will share findings, look back at what has been accomplished, and forward to the future of Generation Scotland. The event will highlight our recent recruitment efforts and celebrate the contribution of our volunteers.

Generation Scotland is a longitudinal family focused cohort study aiming to support health research for public good with over 40,000 participants across Scotland. Our mission is to advance mental and physical health research in areas including mental health, loneliness, cancer, dementia, reproductive health, the genetics of disease and much more.

Presenters will include:

• Professor Cathie Sudlow
• Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak
• Professor Andrew Morris

PROGRAMME

9:30 - Registration

10:00 - Introduction | CHAIR: Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak

10:15 - SESSION 1 | EARLY DAYS OF GENERATION SCOTLAND AND BREAKTHROUGHS

PART 1 | CHAIR: Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak

• Professor David Porteous: The Early History of the Cohort
• Professor Riccardo Marioni: Omics
• Q & A Session: Chaired by Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak

11:10 - COFFEE AND NETWORKING

PART 2 | CHAIR: Professor Roger Halliday

• Professor Heather Whalley: Recruitment to NextGenScot
• Volunteer Panel | Chair: Professor Blair Smith

A panel discussion featuring four dedicated volunteers from the Generation Scotland study. This session will delve into the personal experiences and motivations of those who joined Generation Scotland’s mission to advance mental and physical health research.

12:35 - Lunch and Poster Session

13:35 - SESSION 2| GENERATION SCOTLAND RESEARCH

PART 3 | CHAIR: Professor Riccardo Marioni

• Xueyi Shen: Inflammation (in the context of depression)
• Professor Naveed Sattar: Cardiometabolic insights from biomarker enrichment
• Professor Nic Timpson : Longitudinal population studies – jewels in the crown for UK science and the target for Population Research UK

14:20 - Coffee and Networking

14:50 - SESSION 3 | OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HEALTH DATA LANDSCAPE

PART 4 | CHAIR: Professor Andrew Morris

• Professor Andrew McIntosh: Generation Scotland’s contribution to better Mental Health
• Professor Cathie Sudlow: Scotland’s place in the landscape
• Panel Discussion: Chair: Professor Andrew Morris

Symposium speakers will explore the pivotal contributions of Generation Scotland to the global health research landscape. The panel will focus on Scotland's strategic position in advancing genetic and mental health research.

15:50 - Closing Remarks

16:00 - Drinks Reception

Please note: the speakers may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.