Medlink 2012

After completing my GCSEs, I set out on researching medicine at universities. I managed to find a medical student that could help, and she informed me about Medlink- a 5 day medical conference based at Nottingham University. I saved up the money and booked my place.

We were given rooms on campus, in student accommodation and timetables for the fully packed days. Staying at the university, itself, was a very beneficial experience in learning what being a student is like- attending lectures on a variety of topics. 

I came away with insight into the work studying and working in medicine entails and information on the careers after studying, such as: surgery, pre-hospital care, A+E, general practice and geriatric medicine. We were even given the opportunity to learn to use equipment such as ophthalmoscopes, otoscopes and stethoscopes. The conference focussed on preparing you for a career in medicine, and provided a lot of information on the application process (useful for me as no one I know is in medicine). 

I came away buzzing with new ideas, and feeling equipped for the next stage of my education.

School Science Club

After attending the club lower down in the school, I was eager to help run this club as a senior. On a weekly basis a teacher and myself, educate, support and conduct activities for younger students. This has greatly improved my leadership skills, communication, and patience as well as applying my scientific knowledge outside of exams. Most recently, I led students to create fully functioning model hearts to enter a BHF competition.

Young Blood= Young Mind?

Research has shown that giving young blood to old mice can reverse some of the effects of age- related cognitive decline. The same team then tested for changes in cognition (they didn't know blood's effect on the brain beyond cell regeneration) by linking the circulatory systems of old mice and young mice to fully mix the blood of both- their brains were then analysed. The old mice showed changes in gene expression, particularly in the genes that underpin memory and learning. This infusion of young blood also boosted the number of neuronal connections, as well as the strength of them, in an area of the brain where new cells don't grow.
To investigate the effect of the changes on cognition, the team then gave mice shots of blood plasma from either a young or an old mouse. Plasma was used to exclude the effect produced by blood cells. Following, the mice completed a standard memory task- this revealed that the mice that had received young blood had a better, quicker memory. Blood may have a specific effect on the hippocampus; mice given young blood were better at remembering fear associated with tasks that activated that part of the brain, in fear conditioning tests.
But what does young blood have that old blood doesn't? Work is being carried out to try to identify the individual factors responsible for the effects of young blood plasma. The components in blood that change with age are the same for both mice and men; here's hoping these investigations will prove to be useful to humans in the future.