Science Week 2018

Monday 18 June 2018

Rosalind Franklin Lecture: Professor Eva Nogales: 'Structure and functional interactions in the regulation of human gene expression' In this lecture, Professor Nogales reported on the research undertaken by her lab to decipher multi-protein complexes used in the first stage of gene expression using the technique of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).

Dr Charlie Underwood: 'The whole tooth: Sharks ancient and modern in the sea, desert and lab.' Shark and ray teeth are continuously replaced through their life, and the teeth are attached to the skin rather than the jaw bone, as in other vertebrates. As many hard teeth are produced, they are common fossils, and teeth can directly indicate the diet of the extinct animal. Fossil sharks are therefore very useful in understanding ancient ecosystems and helping to interpret environments of the past.
Dr James Hammond: 'Volcanoes without borders: Seismically imaging beneath Paektu/Changbaishan volcano, North Korea/China.' Mt. Paektu/Changbaishan Volcano lies on the border of North Korea and China. Despite being responsible for one of the largest eruptions in the last few thousand years, it has been little studied due to its location. Dr Hammond's talk described how a unique collaboration developed between North Korean, Chinese, UK and US scientists and what it could tell us about past, present and future activity of the volcano.

Dr Lara Maister: 'Do you really know yourself? Investigating the self-representation of the body and mind.' Our self-representation has many different facets. One important aspect focusses on properties of the mind, with its thoughts and beliefs about our characters and social relationships. Another, quite different aspect of our self-representation, focusses on the properties of our bodies and concerns our body image. Dr Maister's talk looked at both aspects and showed how psychological experiments can change the way the self is perceived and how this affects interactions with others.
Professor Naz Derakhshan: 'How can cognitive neuroscience build resilience in breast cancer patients?' Breast cancer is the biggest malignancy among women worldwide. Every 10 minutes in the UK a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, with increasing rates among younger women. With medical advances, a significant proportion of women continue to live longer lives, but the traumatic cost of diagnosis and harsh treatments leaves women cognitively impaired and emotionally vulnerable for years. Professor Derakhshan discussed how the targeting and exercising of key brain functions can lower anxiety and distress in women with breast cancer and help improve their cognitive functioning and quality of life.