The European Science Open Forum (ESOF) 2010 took place in Turin in Italy from 2-7 July. ESOF is a biennial pan-European meeting dedicated to scientific research and innovation.

Dr Ruth Barrington, CEO of MMI, was invited to chair an interactive session at the event on 6 July that explored the theme - Improving Patient Partnership in Clinical Research. The speakers were Professor Jacques Demotes-Mainard, Coordinator of ECRIN, Dr Paola Mosconi of the Instituto Mario Negri, Milan and Eibhlin Mulroe, CEO of the Irish Platform for Patients' Organisations, Science and Industry.

Pictured above are: Ronan Lyne, a Neuroscience student at Trinity College Dublin, Dr Paola Mosconi of the Instituto Mario Negri, Milan, Eibhlin Mulroe, CEO of IPPOSI, Professor Jacques Demotes-Mainard, Coordinator of ECRIN, Dr Ruth Barrington, CEO of MMI and Michelle Dunne, a science and chemistry teacher at St. Joseph’s College, Presentation Convent in Lucan. Both Ronan and Michelle travelled on the Science Bus from Dublin to Turin  in June to create awareness of the 2012 European City of Science event which will be hosted by Dublin.

The objective of this session was to highlight the importance of patient involvement in clinical research and the need for a strong clinical research capacity and for appropriate funding mechanisms in Europe. The session featured presentations on how patients are being encouraged to participate in clinical research in Italy and at a European level. Using the example of Ireland - Eibhlin Mulroe of IPPOSI presented the findings of a survey of public attitudes to clinical research - the session explored how patient organisations, working closely with the clinical research community, may address barriers to greater patient involvement in clinical research.

Dublin will host the Euroscience Open Forum in 2012 and to create awareness of the event a group of six young Science Ambassadors travelled on a Science Communications Bus from Dublin to Turin stopping off at cities of scientific interest along the route. Ronan Lyne, a Neuroscience student in Trinity College Dublin, and Michelle Dunne, a science and chemistry teacher at St. Joseph’s College, Presentation Convent in Lucan (both of whom are pictured on the MMI homepage) were selected out of 50 applicants to make the journey across Europe on the specially commissioned bus.