DeTechtives: How Tech is Providing Better Insight

Microbes are often viewed as the villain of the story and in the current climate, we focus on eliminating microbes with products that boast the destruction of 99.9% of microbes. In Forensic Science, microbes have the potential to be a hero as, in every instance, we leave an invisible trail of microorganisms which could potentially tell a story. However, in a world where DNA evidence is seen as key, is there room for such a new interpretation of trace evidence? This talk seeks to stimulate discussion into the potential significance of microbes and its prospects as a new investigative tool.

We are living longer than ever and so are more at risk of old-age conditions including Alzheimer’s disease. In this talk, I will discuss my computational research into unravelling the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease, and share some thoughts on the role of brain imaging and machine learning in 21st-century medicine and healthcare.

With the emergence of full-body sensing technology and advances in artificial intelligence come new opportunities to support people’s affective experiences and needs during self-directed ubiquitous physical rehabilitation. I will present our work on technology for chronic pain management and discuss how technology could lead to more effective physical rehabilitation by integrating it in everyday activities and support people at both physical and affective levels. I will also present how technology can be embedded with the ability to perceive people's affective states through body movement.

Simon Watt is the Public Engagement Manager at the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Science at UCL.
You may also know him from his TV (The BAFTA winning Inside Natures Giants, The IFTA winning Wild Cities) and radio (BBC Radio 4’s Hybrid) work or for making the blobfish famous/infamous through his comedy with a conservation twist vehicle, The Ugly Animal Preservation Society.