Health

Health is an ever-evolving area of research, from the food we eat to curing cancer, from malaria to mental health. Improving lives is the key aim of health researchers, looking not only at new medicines but poetry, city design and illnesses of the past.

Events

	Translating biological research into medical impact: Development of a blood test for lung cancer Talk, 5pm - 5.20pm, York Medical Society In recent years Dawn Coverly's research group has focused on one particular cancer-associated change and investigated its potential to be used as a very specific way of identifying cancer cells. Recent findings show that it can be used to detect the presence of tumours in the lung by testing a patient’s blood. Drop by to find out more!
	Viruses and geometry: A secret weapon in the fight against viruses Exhibition, 5pm - 8pm, York Medical Society Discover the cutting-edge research in the area of virology through the medium of art and design. We illustrate the structural principles underpinning virus architecture via artwork designed by Briony Thomas in collaboration with the research group of Reidun Twarock.
	Cancer research: What do we do? Exhibition, 5pm - 9pm, Yorkshire Museum Hospitium Around 330,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer each year. Cancer researchers will be available to discuss the technologies and approaches that they use to understand cancer cells.
	Drug discovery using crystals Exhibition, 5pm - 9pm, York Medical Society Come along to find out how X-ray analysis of protein crystals shows their structure and allows us to develop new and improved drugs.
	Medicine for malaria Activities and exhibition, 5pm - 9pm, Yorkshire Museum Hospitium Come and look at the antimalarial plant cells that save lives under a microscope, play a computer-based ‘plant-breeder’ game where you can create your own medicinal plants and create your own colourful wooden bookmarks! Get a chance to win your own mosquito plush toy!
	From laboratory mouse to computer mouse Activities and exhibition, 5pm - 9pm, Yorkshire Museum Hospitium Drop by and discover, using special bug and immune cell robots, a touch screen simulator and other hands-on activities, how we are developing an artificial immune system to try to achieve a more efficient and animal free method of screening new drugs.
	Seeing blood Exhibition, 5pm - 9pm, Yorkshire Museum Hospitium Blood is essential for life; it contains both red blood cells that transport oxygen, platelets that repair wounds and immune cells that protect you from infection. At this stand we will have microscopes with slides of blood from a range of creatures from the frog to an anaconda.
	50 active years after 50 Exhibition, 5pm - 10pm, King's Manor Marquee As we age, our musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems degenerate, affecting our mobility, ability to work and quality of life. However our expectations for health, activity and wellbeing are increasing. To demonstrate many of the medical engineering interventions that help people to stay active for longer, such as hip, knee and other implants, Frank the cycling skeleton will be displayed with all implants clearly visible.
	Order, chaos and chronic illness Exhibition, 5pm - 10pm, York Medical Society The project “Order, Chaos and Chronic Illness” explores how we talk, think and write about long lasting health conditions or disease through the medium of poetry.
	Walking away the pain in people with leg artery disease Exhibition, 5pm - 10pm, York Medical Society Garry will be presenting his recent research study about an education programme which aims to help people with peripheral arterial disease have a better understanding of their condition, and to actively self-manage their condition through undertaking regular walking exercise.
	What’s your brain doing in this place? Talk, 5.20pm - 5.35pm, York Medical Society We will demonstrate a new headset that measures brain activity on the move using electroencephalography. Discover how this technology can help to make recommendations on how our cities can be designed to be more pleasurable and encourage physical activity in older people.
	Type 1 diabetes: An immunological apocalypse Talk, 5.35pm - 5.50pm, York Medical Society The immune system is our personalised army, equipped to destroy any infectious particle that challenges our survival. However, in some individuals the immunological army turns against our own tissues. In this talk, we will explore the challenges scientists face in the search of a cure for type 1 diabetes taking on the most formidable army ever conceived.
	Coma: Retelling the story Short film and talk, 5.50pm - 6.10pm; Exhibition, 5pm - 10pm; York Medical Society Despite being a convenient plot twist in films and TV, causing romantic complication or a focus for revenge, the reality of comas are rather different. In our research we conducted 65 in-depth interviews with family members of people in coma state. We will use our findings to compare cultural representations of coma with family experiences.
	John Snow’s York and his contribution to public health Talk and walking tour, 6pm - 8pm, King's Manor K111 John Snow's work on cholera is world famous as it transformed public health by emphasising the importance of non-contaminated water supplies in preventing the spread of infectious disease. This event will explore John Snow’s early life and connect it to ideas about life and death in early nineteenth-century England.
	The long reach of the gene: Genetic influences on childhood behavioural problems Talk, 6.30pm - 6.45pm, York Medical Society Why are some children more hyperactive or more anti-social than others? Why do some struggle to make friends or experience more anxiety than their peers? In this talk Gary will explore how genetic factors play a role in behavioural problems by discussing recent research findings from a large UK sample of monozygotic and dizygotic twin samples.
	Using laboratory models to understand how ketamine abuse causes harm to the bladder Talk, 6.45pm - 7pm, York Medical Society Over the last 15 years ketamine has become increasingly popular as a recreational or “party” drug in the UK. In 2007, severe bladder damage was first associated with chronic ketamine abuse and since then a number of patients have had to undergo surgical removal of the bladder to manage the unremitting pain. In the Jack Birch Unit, we have developed laboratory models of human bladder tissue that can be used to understand drug/tissue interactions.
	Seeing through the eyes of flies Talk, 7pm - 7.15pm, York Medical Society Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are commonly regarded as the most genetically manageable model organism used in research. Find out about the research focusing on using fruit flies to understand the genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease, particularly the visual impairments reported in patients.
	Stem cells and human cancer: Turning biology into treatments Talk, 7pm - 8.30pm, St Peter's School In his lecture, Professor Maitland will describe his ground-breaking research on cancer stem cells, responsible for not only the spread of cancers around the body, but also for tumour relapse after treatment.
	Improving health with Sound Design Talk, 7.15pm - 7.30pm, York Medical Society In this talk, we will show how digital sound can help improve diagnosis and therapy, how a synthesised voice, created for people who have lost or never had the ability to talk, could be customisable and personal. Discover how sound design can get you engaging with important health issues!
	An exotic vet’s life: The work of a 21st century James Herriot in the zoo and wild animal world Talk, 7.30pm - 8.30pm, Yorkshire Museum Hospitium This talk is a funny romp through the trials and tribulations of a modern 21st century James Herriot - from dealing with angry Polar bears, to how to spey your own lion on the kitchen table, the talk covers tales of success and woe when working with the fiercer creatures around.
	Learning about past health, disease and diet from the mouths of skeletons Talk, 7.50pm - 8.05pm, York Medical Society Find out how analysing germs trapped in archaeological dental calculus helps us to recover evidence of pathogens and proteins associated with immune system and expands our understanding of human health.
	Kiss kiss, bang bang: When Plasma Physics kisses bacteria goodbye Talk, 8.05pm - 8.20pm, York Medical Society We will look at the potential use of plasmas to eliminate pathogens that cause or live in skin wounds, and consider what makes plasma suitable for human treatment, its safety and its long-term effect on microbes.
	Trembling hands: Parkinson’s disease and Medieval writers Talk, 8.20pm - 8.35pm, York Medical Society Before the invention of the printing press all written material, from beautiful books to the most mundane documents had to be copied out by scribes. What happened to these professional writers if they developed Parkinson’s Disease, or another condition that affected their ability to write?
	Transmission: infectious disease meets contemporary dance Talk and short film, 8.35pm - 9.20pm, York Medical Society Transmission is the most important step in a parasite's life and the main factor in its evolutionary fitness. Blocking transmission is the goal of many healthcare interventions such as vaccines and sanitation. Together with Becs Andrews, Mike will discuss a recent research project and will introduce TRANSMISSION, revealing the hidden worlds of infection and disease transmission.