Tuesday the 19th of May marked our celebration of International Clinical Trials Day. This annual event commemorates the beginning of clinical research, dating back to the 18th century when James Lind studied Scurvy, developing the theory that citrus fruits could be a cure for this deadly disease.
At the Perinatal Imaging Department, this was our chance to show off some of the exciting work that we have been conducting in preparation for mapping the Developing Human Connectome.
With the project in it’s infancy, events such as this provide the perfect opportunity for outreach to patients, staff and visitors alike. Something essential in spreading the word about the project, it’s practical applications in future medicine, and how the research will be carried out. This year the event took place in the heart of St Thomas’ Hospital – so we couldn’t have had a better stage to let patients, visitors and staff know what we are all about. With interactive games for the kids and some more in-depth information for the grown-ups, there was something for everyone. We also had staff and researchers on hand to chat to about anything and everything Connectome!
With MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) being the main imaging tool of the project, but often unknown (and sometimes a little scary), we thought it would be both fun and informative to introduce people to our very own inflatable, life size MRI scanner. This proved very helpful in bringing the imaging process to life and explaining the ins and outs of the project to many interested attendees.
Research is at the heart of improvements in modern medicine and we were thrilled to have this chance to tell the public about our work, as well as be part of this fun and important event.
You can follow us as well as see more from the event on Twitter.
You can read more about International Clinical Trials Day here.
