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Do you ever wonder what makes the brain the way it is? How does disease affect our brain and the way we view food? Or how bacteria affect our health? Join us for a night uncovering all the wonderful things about our bodies and brains!
Micro-solutions to macro-problems
Dr Suparna DuttaSinha
(Marie Curie Fellow, Mathematics)
The relationship between bacteria and humans is significant. Bacteria can make us very sick but they can make our lives easier in a number of ways. We could not survive without many of the trillions of bacteria that live inside, or on the human body. In this talk, we will discover how bacteria do what they do and why they are so important to human life.
Your brain has a sweet tooth
Dr Paul Weightman Potter
(Postdoctoral Research Associate)
Your brain has a sweet tooth. For an organ that weighs 2% of your bodyweight it can use around 20% of your daily calories, mostly as sugar. It is very important your brain keeps well fuelled to keep your body moving and thinking. However, in diseases like diabetes this can go wrong. Come and listen to this talk to learn more about how your brain keeps energy levels in check and how it goes wrong in disease.
Food for thought: changes to brain metabolism in disease
Wyn Firth
(MbyRes Student)
Every day, the brain uses an enormous amount of energy. Brain cells called astrocytes are important for regulating the brain’s metabolism and energy use, and changes to these cells have been noted in several conditions. During this Flash Talk, we will briefly explore the role of astrocytes in normal brain metabolism, how this changes in some disease states, and how we might target this for treatments.
Image credited to: Dr Alastair MacDonald of Exeter Neuro Endo
Image credited to: Dr Alastair MacDonald of Exeter Neuro Endo
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