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From subatomic particles to our walking, talking bodies; how do we look inside ourselves? Find out how hospital scans help us to understand human biology and to diagnose diseases. Please note: this event takes place on the first floor and has no step free access.
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride: new imaging applications for old chemistry
Dr Julia Blower
(Research Associate)
Some molecules have always been the bystanders in chemical reactions, faithfully accompanying the celebrities, the heroes, the headliners of the chemistry world... until one day, they become radioactive and discover their own superpowers as radioimaging agents. This is one of those stories. This is the story of the BF4 anion.
Positrons and protons: picture this
Dr Colm McGinnity
(Research Associate)
Positrons are the anti-matter equivalent of electrons. Protons precess. So there's two of the entirely-straightforward concepts that we'll encounter as we explore two of the most valuable medical imaging modalities available, PET and MRI. And since it's all so easy-peasy, you say, why don't we just do both at the same time? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Two pints of brain, dissected during life
Professor Alexander Hammers
(Chair in PET Imaging/Head of PET Imaging Centre/Cons)
The brain as the seat of thoughts and emotions has long fascinated humans. Using lots of computing power (and lots of painstaking manual labour), it is now possible to “dissect” a brain on an MRI brain scan with the help of multiple brain atlases. We shall explore how we got to this point, and where to go from here.
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