For PUBLIC EVENTS at the University please see University Events
To book a place or register interest, email us at exe.u3a.uni.liaison@gmail.com, with names, membership numbers and emails of ALL who wish to attend, including the date of the event in the subject line of your email.
--------------
SLEEP BY DESIGN: HOW OUR GENES SHAPE SLEEP, CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, AND HEALTH
A talk by Dr Andrew Wood,
Associate Professor of Statistical Genetics and Health Data Science, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science
Wednesday, 7th October, 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Baring Court Room 217, St Luke’s Campus
Adequate sleep is important for health and wellbeing. Changes in sleep quality, quantity and timing have been strongly associated with several human diseases and psychiatric disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and depression. However, many aspects of the underlying biology that regulates sleep remain poorly understood, and it is not always clear whether these sleep patterns are a cause of disease or simply a side-effect of it. Understanding the biological mechanisms of sleep could also inform the development of sleep medications, which currently have variable effectiveness and side-effects.
Over the last 10 years, large-scale population-based "biobanks" have enabled researchers to characterise sleep patterns in hundreds of thousands of individuals and link this data to their DNA. This is helping address long-standing questions: can differences in our DNA explain why some people get insomnia, why some are more "morning people" than "evening people", and why others have interrupted sleep through the night?
Andrew’s talk will cover ongoing research in this field at Exeter University, including how sleep is analysed at a population scale, how DNA is used to identify biological signals that may point to new therapeutic targets, and how DNA can be used to predict someone's likelihood of adverse sleep patterns over their lifetime, relative to others.
--------------
A VISIT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S VSIMULATORS RESEARCH FACILITY
Postponed - new date awaited
University of Exeter Engineering Research Centre, Anning Road, Exeter Science Park, Clyst Honiton, Exeter EX5 2FN
This unique facility combines a range of tools, including eye tracking, biomedical measuring devices, VR headsets etc, all on a moving platform that can then simulate a range of environments and measure how humans react / adapt / move. The facility has supported several significant healthcare projects to help people with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, chronic ankle instability, Meniere’s (a vestibular inner ear condition affecting balance) and others. In addition, the team has worked with engineering consultants and other universities to support structural engineering projects around human response to vibration in office floors and pedestrian footbridges.
Members will have the opportunity to try out the motion platform for themselves and find out about the capabilities of our state-of-the-art facilities. Lunch will be provided.
For more information, please see below the link to the facility’s website and to a video about their healthcare research, featured on ITV Westcountry and BBC Spotlight.
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/facilities/vsimulators
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy2vfjl7gc0
--------