Overview

This symposium is aimed at RCPath fellows, members, trainees, medical students and others interested in the range of pathology specialties in Northern Ireland. Delegates will hear presentations about upcoming themes in the field of pathology and share some of the great developments happening in Northern Ireland. They will hear from the President Dr Bernie Croal and find out what the College does in Northern Ireland. 

This is a Free event. The Symposium will be taking place in the morning between 9.30am-1pm.

Lunch will be served in the Lobby area of the Postgraduate Centre between 1pm-2pm.

The event will  be held in person only at Postgraduate Medical Centre, Belfast City Hospital, 51 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AB

Registrations are now open.

For further information, please contact [email protected]

 

Programme

09:30

Meeting opens
Dr Alison Watt, Chair, RCPath Northern Ireland Regional Council
Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer
Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA, Health Minister

09:50

Pathogen Genomics
Dr Tanya Curran, Belfast Trust

10:15

POCT in Northern Ireland
Dr Jenny Hamilton, Southern Trust

10:40

From 28 days to 28 minutes, exploring long read sequencing for the diagnosis of adult and paediatric brain tumours in Northern Ireland
Dr Estelle Gillian Healy, Belfast Trust

11:05

College President update
Dr Bernie Croal, President of the Royal College of Pathologists

11:30

Coffee Break

11:50

Virology
Dr Louise McCorry, Belfast Trust

12:15

The Future of Genomic Medicine in Northern Ireland: A 10‑Year Programme for Transformation
Dr Caoimhe McKenna, Belfast Trust

 3 Award winning poster presentations

12:40

Poster 1
TBC

12:50

Poster 2
TBC

13:00

Poster 3
TBC

Blueprint update

13:10

Pathology Blueprint Programme and Pathology Transformation
Blueprint Team

13:20

Meeting closes
Dr Alison Watt, Chair, RCPath Northern Ireland Regional Council

13:30 -14:00

Lunch
(to be held in the Lobby area of the Postgraduate Centre)

14:00-15:30

Trainee Forum with the President
(to be held at the Larkin Room, Postgraduate Centre)
Location

Event to be held at Postgraduate Medical Centre, Belfast City Hospital, 51 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AB

 

Poster competition

Enter a poster into this year’s RCPath Northern Ireland Symposium Poster Competition

We are inviting professionals from various fields of Pathology to submit their abstracts for poster presentations at our upcoming RCPath Northern Ireland Symposium - From Diagnosis to Recovery: Pathology Improving Every Step of the Patient Journey being held on 20 October 2026.

Posters are an excellent way to showcase research, projects, best practice, service improvement projects, audits, interesting cases or ideas in a visually engaging and informative way. This is your opportunity to showcase what you have been working on individually, or as part of a team.

We would love a range of ideas across all specialties. Your ideas might come from the event’s theme (From Diagnosis to Recovery: Pathology Improving Every Step of the Patient Journey), or more generally the pathology related work you are particularly proud of and want to put in the limelight.

Winner of the first prize will be awarded £100. Winners of the second and third prizes will receive £50 each.

Winners will present their posters at the RCPath Northern Ireland Symposium on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at the Lecture Theatre, Postgraduate Medical Centre, Belfast City Hospital, 51 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AB.

 

Also of Interest

More events