King’s Macclesfield: Students Exploring the Future of Neuroscience
Leading neuroscientist Dr Guy Sutton examined the enormous benefits and potential drawbacks of the rapid advance in our understanding of the human brain at a ‘Brain Day’ at the King’s School.
King’s A Level Psychology and Biology students spent the day exploring what changes, once thought only the subject of science fiction, they can now expect to see in their lifetimes.
For as Dr Sutton, who is the Director and Founder of Medical Biology Interactive, said: “We have as yet only scratched the surface of understanding the complexity of brain function.”
From extending mortality to restoring movement after paralysis, from cleansing psychopathic tendencies in criminal minds to introducing machines that can read, write and voice our thoughts, Dr Sutton took students on a journey of discovery.
Looking to the advances to come in the students’ lifetimes, Dr. Sutton added: “Over the past twenty years there have been astounding advances in our understanding of the workings of the human brain and nervous system. Advances in areas such as neurobionics and computer-brain interfaces are likely to have a significant impact on society and health over the next fifty years; these are exciting times in brain research.”
“We can already take samples of your tissue from say your arm and plant them in your brain to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. “Perhaps, the key issue is now not whether it is possible but will the NHS be able to afford it.”
Dr Sutton’s acclaimed ‘Brain Day’ is designed as a bridge between sixth form and top degree courses centered on both biological and psychological perspectives.
Students also learned about the working and damaged brain, hearing about a range of unique cases of brain injury and the impacts on mental illnesses and criminal behaviour, aswell as how drugs and social media affect the brain, the benefits of musical education and learning a language for brain development, and the range of new technologies for exploring the brain.
His lectures not only involve the clinical dissection of sheep’s brains, with the various parts given a closer inspection, but also cover important sociological and philosophical questions about the nature of free will and how much our actions are determined by our brain’s biochemistry.
King’s Psychology teacher, Maria McMaster, said: “Dr. Sutton is not only at the vanguard of research into brain function but is also a brilliant andinspiring teacher who grips and amazes his audience.”
“We wanted to bring the biopsychology unit to life and learn about the many amazing things the brain can do and Dr Sutton opened the door on tomorrow’s world.”
