As part of ONE Medicine Month this May, Dr Ben Marshall, Consultant Respiratory Physician at the University Hospital Southampton and Trustee of Humanimal Trust, is gearing up for a remarkable feat as he sets off on a 950-mile cycle ride across France.
Driven by a passion for improving healthcare for both humans and animals, Ben will cycle from St Malo to Nice – through 19 of France’s regional départements – in 10 consecutive days, raising funds for two causes close to his heart: Humanimal Trust and the Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM) Network UK.
The challenge coincides with ONE Medicine Month, a campaign driven by Humanimal Trust to raise awareness of One Medicine – an approach that encourages vets, doctors and researchers to share their medical knowledge and skills with each other, so they can work together to understand, diagnose and treat diseases that are found in both human and animal patients. NTM Network UK works to improve care for patients with non-tuberculosis mycobacterial infections – a growing area of concern in respiratory medicine.
Ben has worked at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust for the last 25 years. He balances his role as a Consultant Respiratory Physician with his passion for delivering high-quality teaching at the University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine. He also works with scientists at the renowned National Institute of Health Science Respiratory Biomedical Research Centre to identify the underlying causes of progressive lung damage.
Ben, said: “Preparing for this challenge has taken a lot of training, so I’m excited to finally set off and raise as much as I possibly can for these two exceptional charities. If you can, please donate to support these causes. Together, we can build a future where medical progress is sustainable and benefits all species.”
Current research funded by Humanimal Trust, of which Ben is a Trustee, includes a student-led study that looks at the levels of environmental toxins in humans and animals living in the same household, and a project that brings together human and veterinary dentists and surgeons who specialise in diseases of the head and neck, including cancer.
Joe Bailey, CEO of Humanimal Trust, said: “Taking on such a physically and mentally demanding challenge like this is no small task. As a charity wholly dependent on voluntary donations, we are deeply grateful to Ben for his commitment and dedication. Every pound raised will support life-saving research and collaborative medical advancements.”
To support Ben’s journey and to donate, visit https://bit.ly/429FGT2