Live Scientists

PANEL EVENT: Women In STEM | Tuesday 20th July 2021 @12:00pm

This event welcomes four incredible women who have a wealth of experience working in the often challenging world of STEM, who will give an insight into their personal journeys, thoughts and advice to future generations of female researchers. The discussion will include: Nicola Flaum: a medical doctor training to be a medical oncologist who has taken time out of clinical training to complete her PhD in cancer genomics. Josephine Moran: a postdoc researching intracellular infections using live cell imaging. Sue Astley: started out with a maths degree, worked as an astronomer and cosmic ray physicist, then completed a PhD in… Read More »PANEL EVENT: Women In STEM | Tuesday 20th July 2021 @12:00pm

LIVE TALK | Physics & Neurodegenerative Diseases | 18:30 (UK time), 13 July 2021

We are delighted to announce that Dr Yolanda Ohene will be speaking to us about her research and experiences on Tuesday 13th July 2021 at 18:30 UK time. Here is some more information about her research: General: Postdoctoral researcher in the Neuroimaging Group at The University of Manchester specialising in developing MRI technique for neurodegenerative diseases. Awards: Dr Yolanda Ohene, a MSci Physics graduate and now a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Manchester, is a British Science Award 2021 Lecture Winner for Agriculture, Biological and Medical sciences with the topic ‘A window into the brain.’ In her lecture, Yolanda will discuss how she has used MRI technology to develop new, ground-breaking techniques for… Read More »LIVE TALK | Physics & Neurodegenerative Diseases | 18:30 (UK time), 13 July 2021

Healthy Lifestyle Recipes: Hands-on Activity

For our Diet and Nutrition month hands-on activity we have teamed up with the fantastic Lily Kate Kitchen who has created some vibrant and delicious recipes for you to try out at home! These four recipes are complementary to the diets we explored the science of in our Lifestyle-Based Diet blog, check it out here if you missed it. The recipes are quick and simple to rustle up for a healthy and hearty dinner, we hope you enjoy! If you loved Lily Kate Kitchen‘s recipes, she has lots of other fantastic meal ideas on her Instagram – check them out… Read More »Healthy Lifestyle Recipes: Hands-on Activity

Live Talk | Healthy Living in Young Women to Prevent Breast Cancer | 18:30 (UK time), 22nd June 2021.

Mary Pegington – Research Dietician at The University of Manchester. LIVE streaming at YouTube 18:30 (UK time), 22 June 2021.  In this session Mary will discuss the current rates of breast cancer in the UK and what we know about the many different things that can increase risk of developing breast cancer.  Mary will focus on the main lifestyle risk factors that she deals with in her research: weight, alcohol, exercise and smoking, and will talk about how her group’s research is involving young women who are at increased risk of developing the disease in designing an intervention to engage them in healthy living, to reduce their future risk.… Read More »Live Talk | Healthy Living in Young Women to Prevent Breast Cancer | 18:30 (UK time), 22nd June 2021.

LIVE Q&A | Investigating the Nutritional Profile of Fermented Foods | 18:30 (UK time), 14 June 2021.

Liam Walsh – Teagasc, in association with APC Microbiome Ireland. LIVE streaming at YouTube 18:30 (UK time), 14 June 2021. Summary: Liam’s research focuses on the use of multi-omic approaches, to study the microbial community and nutritional profile of kefir, a fermented milk beverage with potential health promoting properties. His research aims to understand, at a system level, what microorganisms and their by-products are present in kefir over the course of 24 hours and how they function and interact. The final goal of the project is to improve the fermentation process and assess the impact of kefir, on host health. Liam… Read More »LIVE Q&A | Investigating the Nutritional Profile of Fermented Foods | 18:30 (UK time), 14 June 2021.

The Science of Lifestyle-Based Diets Blog

For LIVE with Scientists’ Diet and Nutrition month, we wanted to explore the science behind four lifestyle-based diets commonly mentioned in the media. Below we discuss some of the research and studies investigating the health benefits of a Mediterranean, Vegan, Ketogenic and Gluten-Free diet. It is advisable to consult with a medical specialist before making drastic changes to your diet. Mediterranean Diet The Mediterranean diet is often mentioned in news articles and TV shows in association with healthy living, but what is a Mediterranean diet? In short, the Mediterranean diet is based on the eating habits and traditional foods of the… Read More »The Science of Lifestyle-Based Diets Blog

Cancer in Young People

As a young adult, I often find it easy to detach myself from cancer risk statistics. After all, cancer diagnoses in young people (15-24 years) only account for 1% of all new cancer cases a year in the UK1. Even though this sounds like a small percentage, there are still around 2,500 new cancer cases in young people every year in the UK, that’s about 7 every day1. More than half of all young people’s cancers are diagnosed in those aged 20-24 years.  Risk Factors  Cancer risk in young people can be related to environmental factors, such as UV exposure, as well as certain infections, for example HPV (Human papillomavirus) infection and its link with cervical cancer2. There… Read More »Cancer in Young People

Paper Plane Proteins: Modelling Types of Genetic Mutations – Hands on Activity

Cancer is caused by genetic changes in our DNA. Whether it is DNA damage caused by UV rays, or an unlucky spelling mistake in our genes that we are born with, or have picked up over time.  This workshop aims to provide you with an understanding of what DNA is, its role in coding for genes and the impact that DNA changes have on proteins and therefore human disease, such as cancer.  Originally developed with high school students in mind, the content of the workshop should be complementary to a biology GCSE syllabus.  After an introduction to DNA, mutations and proteins, you are invited to make paper plane models alongside the demonstration. Each… Read More »Paper Plane Proteins: Modelling Types of Genetic Mutations – Hands on Activity

Origami DNA Activity: Collaboration with Black in Cancer

This month we have teamed up with the fantastic organisation Black in Cancer, who strengthen networks and highlight Black excellence in cancer research and medicine.  Dr Julia Morris, ambassador for Black in Cancer, has created a short video on how to create your very own origami DNA model at home.  All you need is a piece of A4 paper and a ruler! Check out the video below. During the video Julia tells us more about DNA changes in cancer and what can cause the genetic changes that lead to cancer development. We hope you enjoy the activity. Make sure to share pictures of your origami models… Read More »Origami DNA Activity: Collaboration with Black in Cancer

Live Talk | Living in Low Oxygen: Another Tool in Cancer’s Survival Kit | 18:30 (UK time), 18th May 2021.

Dr Isabel Pires – Cancer Biologist and Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hull. LIVE streaming at YouTube 18:30 (UK time), 18 May 2021.  Did you know that there are areas in a tumour that have virtually no oxygen at all? How can cancer cells survive in these conditions? How does this impact on treatment? In this talk we will discuss how cancer cells can hijack the process by which the tissues in our body respond to low oxygen conditions, not only to survive in these conditions, but also to become even more aggressive and resistant to therapy. We will also hear… Read More »Live Talk | Living in Low Oxygen: Another Tool in Cancer’s Survival Kit | 18:30 (UK time), 18th May 2021.