An intimate public engagement event by the CSC has drawn together researchers from different areas of science, and sparked conversations that could be the beginnings of interdisciplinary collaborations.
The “Hearts and Minds” event, held on referendum day as part of the MRC Festival of Medical Research, took place at the Data Sciences Institute at the Imperial College South Kensington campus. A curving wall of floor-to-ceiling images surrounded the audience on all sides, creating a unique immersive visual experience. The day brought together Declan O’Regan (top right) who explored how far artificial intelligence might help us to predict future illness, and Oliver Howes (top left) who used giant spinning brains to help him explain his latest work on possible treatments for schizophrenia.
Sculptor Katharine Dowson (bottom right) displayed life-sized models of her own heart and brain, produced using data from medical scans. Deborah Oakley (bottom left), from the CSC’s communications team, discussed her personal motivations for taking part in a research study that involved an uncomfortable heart scan.
Advances in technology mean medical scanners can now tell us a lot about our hearts and our brains. The event explored how much we really want to know, particularly from brain scans, about conditions that may not always be treatable, and that might reveal information about our mental health.
The stunning images and narratives of the day captured the attention of prominent scientists, sixth form students (right), and representatives from a patient group and a charity who attended the event.
Deborah Oakley
Science Communication Officer
MRC Clinical Sciences Centre