During his lecture, Colin spoke openly about the devastating reality of aortic dissection and the urgent need for better awareness, funding for research, faster diagnosis and improved treatment pathways. Patient stories remained at the heart of the presentation. Colin shared the story of Claire, a young patient who underwent multiple major procedures following a type B aortic dissection. Despite extraordinary efforts from surgical teams over many years, Claire sadly died after dissecting another part of her aorta. Colin spoke with compassion about her resilience, her humour and the lasting impact she had on everyone involved in her care.
He also reflected on the story of Aiden, a young man whose dissection was tragically missed despite concerns raised by his family. Colin used this example to highlight the challenges surrounding diagnosis and the importance of improving awareness within emergency medicine and frontline healthcare. It reinforced why patient advocacy and education remain essential parts of the work carried out by the charity and our supporters across the UK and Ireland.
Innovation and Collaboration
Alongside these patient experiences, the lecture highlighted decades of innovation and leadership in vascular surgery and research. Colin spoke about the evolution of complex open surgical procedures and the growth of minimally invasive endovascular treatments that are transforming care for patients with aortic disease. He also reflected on the importance of teamwork across disciplines, recognising the contributions of surgeons, nurses, radiologists, anaesthetists, researchers and patient advocates in improving outcomes.
Research was a major focus of the evening and demonstrated the breadth of Colin’s contribution to vascular science. The audience heard about the WARRIORS Study, an important international multi-centre trial addressing gender imbalance in vascular care for women with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Women have historically been underrepresented in vascular research and may experience different outcomes from treatment.
Colin also discussed the NIHR funded EARNEST Trial, where he serves as Chief Investigator. This landmark study is investigating whether early stenting can improve long term outcomes for patients with acute uncomplicated type B aortic dissection. Importantly, the trial has been developed in partnership with patients from the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust to ensure that the experiences and priorities of patients remain central to the research.
The lecture also highlighted Colin’s involvement in the ETTAA Study, which focuses on thoracic aortic aneurysms and examines aneurysm growth, survival and quality of life for patients living with thoracic aortic disease. In addition, his work on patient outcome reporting and the development of core outcome sets continues to shape how clinical outcomes are measured and understood in vascular surgery research.
Patients at the Centre of Progress
For the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust, it was especially meaningful to hear recognition of the role patients and charities have played in helping move aortic dissection research and awareness forward. Colin previously served as Chair of the Trust’s Research Advisory Group and has been instrumental in shaping the charity’s research strategy from its earliest stages. His leadership helped establish the foundations of the Research Advisory Group and supported the Trust in becoming a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities. Helping to bring aortic dissection research into the national spotlight, encouraging collaboration between clinicians, researchers, policymakers and patients.
One of the strongest messages from the evening was that progress only happens when people work together. Patients, families, clinicians, researchers and charities all have an essential role in changing the future for those affected by aortic dissection.
We would like to congratulate Colin on this very well deserved achievement and thank him for his continued dedication to research and the wider aortic dissection community. It was a privilege to attend such a special event and to celebrate alongside so many people committed to improving outcomes for patients across the UK and beyond.
