Expanding Minds

Dr Yolanda Ohene joined Year 10 online to talk about her research into brain imaging and neurodegenerative disease.

Dr Ohene, recipient of the Institute of Physics Jocelyn Bell Burnell Medal and Prize last year, discussed how she is creating imaging techniques to probe the blood-brain barrier using the water that is already in the brain to better understand Alzheimer’s disease.

She showed our Year 10 Scientists how imaging techniques are now so good that defects can be detected in a foetal heart, which is only the size of an almond. Dr Ohene also discussed imaging of the gut and how important this area of research is; there are more bacteria in the gut than cells in your body, so many people are researching the gut-brain axis and the link between what you eat and your emotions.

This was a fantastic opportunity to consider how to use Mathematics and Physics to understand the world around us. We are very grateful to Dr Ohene for an inspiring talk and sharing her expertise.