Cardiff Medical Society
Established 1870
Cardiff Medical Society aims to encourage the advancement of medical knowledge and promote the welfare of the medical profession
About Us
The Cardiff Medical Society was established in 1870 to encourage the advancement of medical knowledge and to promote the welfare of the medical profession. Today the society continues to promote medical education, but also provide a friendly environment in which doctors can socialise and network.
The membership consists of more than 300 medical practitioners in Cardiff and surrounding district. The Society puts on monthly events, an annual dinner and an annual student prize presentation evening. It also provides assistance to medical students who wish to study the history of medicine as part of their medical degree.
The President of the Society for 2025-2026 is Professor Malcolm Wheeler
The President of the Society for 2026-2027 is Professor Helen Sweetland
If you would like to join the society, please contact the secretary: Cardiff.medicalsociety@gmail.com
Next Meeting:
DATE: THURSDAY 12th November, 2026
VENUE: Lecture Theatre 4, UHW
TIME: 19:00 -Light Refreshments
19:30 - Keynote Event
Keynote Event:
Professor Anita Thapar, Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Cardiff University, Co-chair of Welsh Government Neurodivergence Ministerial Advisory Group and Chair of the NHS England ADHD Taskforce
‘The Science and Politics Behind ADHD’
The science and politics behind ADHD
Anita Thapar
ADHD always seems to be in the news these days and so many have strong views on the condition. Patients are increasingly saying they feel persecuted. Some of the media, public and clinicians say ADHD is over-diagnosed, but many scientists challenge this view. So, what is the scientific evidence on ADHD? What is it? Why have we only started hearing about it more recently?
In this talk, I will explain what ADHD is and what the scientific evidence shows. I will also address common myths. I will finally discuss the politics behind ADHD; specifically how the worlds of clinical medicine, science and politics including government sometimes clash as well as work together.
Professor Anita Thapar MBBCh, FRCPsych, PhD, CBE, FMedSci
Anita is a clinical academic child and adolescent psychiatrist who graduated from UWCM in 1985. She did a PhD in psychiatric genetics and became Professor at Cardiff University in 1999 (till 2026).
She established an internationally recognised research group focusing on child/youth mental health with most of her research focusing on ADHD. She also is a keen educator and has been lead editor (together with Dr. Daniel S. Pine, NIMH) of the authoritative international textbook Rutter's Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (6th and 7th edition).
Anita was awarded a CBE (Queen’s honor) for services to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2017, the President’s Medal from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2015 for contributions to policy, public knowledge, education and meeting population and patient care needs, the Ruane Prize 2015 from the Brain and Behaviour Research Foundation, USA for outstanding Child & Adolescent Psychiatric research, the International Society for Psychiatric Genetics Lifetime Achievement Award and the World ADHD Federation medal for her contributions to clinical work, teaching and research on ADHD.
Anita has served as co-chair for the Welsh Government Ministerial Advisory Group for neurodivergence and has been on the Welsh Government Adult ADHD taskforce.
She served as Chair of the NHS-England independent ADHD Taskforce and a member of the Dept for Education Task and Finish Group for Neurodivergence and continues to engage in policy work, public and practitioner education and some clinical research.
Anita is married to a now retired Cardiff GP and has two grown-up children, one of whom is a clinical fellow in Haematology in London.
Anita receives Royalties from Willey (Rutter Textbook) but otherwise has no financial disclosures.
https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/honorary/thapar