Talks on various topics

DDRC & BRIC ( Dec 2023)

DDRC & BRIC.

DDRC are specialists in diving medicine, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and medical training. They deliver 24/7 diving and hyperbaric medical emergency services, diver health research and education activities, they host the British Hyperbaric Association helpline, produce diver safety materials, presentations, courses and events and fund medical equipment to support diver treatment plans
The Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC) is an advanced multi-modal brain research facility. It is at the forefront of the exploration of human brain structure and function in health and disease..

Park Pharmacy Trust  (June 2023).

Park Pharmacy. 

Our June visit to Park Pharmacy Trust, at Thorn Park Plymouth.
A talk given by Dr. Jan Knight and a tour of the Trust buildings and garden.
The present plan is to rebuild on the selected site the famous  C J Park Pharmacy, known affectionately as  Mr Park’s chemist shop, as a complete walk in shop. This was the last remaining Victorian chemist’s shop in Plymouth, established in 1864, when it closed for business the last day of 1983. It was a major tourist attraction in the Merchant’s House Museum where it was manned by Park Pharmacy Trust volunteers.

Smart Cities (July 2023).

Inaugural lecture by Katharine Willis, Professor of Smart Cities at University of Plymouth.

Katharine Willis talks about how new technologies can help create inclusive environments in which people and
communities can engage with the places that they live. Katharine’s research recognises the need to take a
place-based approach when developing smart cities; ensuring that the design and deployment of new technologies
works for setting local civic and infrastructural priorities. Her research has seen her collaborating
internationally with academics in India and Brazil to examine the role of civic exclusiveness
in how people shape technologies to their needs.; whilst also leading projects in some of the most deprived
communities in the South West.

Re:Cognition Health (Sept 2023).

Re:Cognition Health.

In this presentation, Flavia and Sophie gave the key facts about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, while addressing some common misconceptions. The initial and later symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease were outlined, alongside how these relate to the pathology of the disease in the brain.
They also touched on how a patient may be diagnosed and how we can lower our risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. They talked about currently available treatments and new up-and-coming treatments, which over the last 12 months have been a very exciting time for Alzheimer’s medication research.

Pieter de Wilde lecture (Oct 2023).

Buildings Performance Analysis

Building performance analysis is the domain within building science that studies how well a building and its systems provide the tasks and functions expected of that building. It covers a wide range of issues, such as energy efficiency, daylighting, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, occupant well-being and health. As modern society is strongly focussed on performance and efficiency, there is an increasing interest in building performance. Yet there are still many gaps in our knowledge on the subject.

 

Harnessing the glow of a marine mollusc for science.(Nov. 2023).

Glow of a marine mollusc

Jan Knight gave the talk on marine rock-boring bivalve mollusc Pholas dactylus. It’s long been known that this creature glows in the dark; oxygen is necessary for the luminescence of the mollusc. Pholasin which is responsible for this property, is switched on by highly reactive forms of oxygen. These reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced inside our bodies, largely by white blood cells when they become activated during inflammation and infection but also outside the body by pollution, exposure to UV light, chemicals and environmental stresses.

Jan also demonstrated various apparatuses on how Pholasin is applied to urine to gather information on our bodies well-being.

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SCHEDULE S&T               Science & Technology