Cardiff Met to host Ageing and Neurodegeneration Seminar

Cardiff Metropolitan University is holding a series of seminars on the theme ‘Improving Health through Education and Research’, with the upcoming seminar in the series entitled ‘Unfit for Ageing: Frailty and Neurodegeneration’. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Presented by the Cardiff School of Health Sciences (CSHS) and supported by the City of Llandaff branch of the Rotary Club of Cardiff, the event will explore the problems arising from age-related conditions such as frailty and neurodegeneration. Attendees will have the chance to hear about the research being conducted at CSHS into finding alternative and innovative ways of managing and treating such conditions. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Cardiff Met speakers will be Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Prof. Jorge Erusalimsky, an expert in the investigation of frailty, and lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, Dr Claire Kelly, who is an expert in the study of neurodegenerative diseases. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Both speakers will discuss the research work going on in the University’s laboratories, while external speaker, Dr Emma Lane, from Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy, will explain how this research interfaces with clinically-related research being conducted elsewhere. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Both Professor Erusalimsky and Dr Kelly are experts in their respective fields: individually, both have researched a number of topics including cellular senescence, haematopoietic stem cell biology and megakaryocyte development, as well as cell transplantation as a therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. External speaker Dr Lane is an expert in Parkinson’s patient outcomes and how clinical interventions can influence those outcomes, particularly how therapeutic approaches to the treatment of Parkinson’s disease can cause side effects. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Previous lectures in the series include a seminar named ‘Dealing with the Problems of Increasing Antibiotic Resistance’, which looked in to the problems arising from anti-biotic resistance and finding alternative and innovative ways of controlling infection. Another seminar focused on ‘Translating Exercise-linked Health Benefits from the Laboratory into the Community’, which discussed how both academics and external partners may be able to influence policy-makers with regard to promotion of exercise participation within the general public. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Richard Webb, Head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cardiff Met, said: “We are very much looking forward to the next seminar to be held here at the University, and are particularly excited about the calibre of our speakers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The topic of ageing and frailty is one that is rarely discussed in a professional and scientific capacity, and so this seminar will really provide an insight for attendees in to the multitude of research being conducted and advances being made on a daily basis.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The ‘Unfit for Ageing: Frailty and Neurodegeneration’ seminar will also involve a stimulating Q&A session where audience members can participate in an informal discussion about the topic. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The seminar is open to all and will be held on Tuesday 23rd February at Cardiff Met’s Llandaff Campus (Room O023) from 6pm to 8pm. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

For more information, including booking enquiries, please contact Dr Richard Webb rwebb@cardiffmet.ac.uk ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​