What does a career in health research look like? Our researchers share their work with local sixth-form students
Students at Long Road Sixth-Form College in Cambridge were last week given a snapshot of what it’s like to work in clinical research, when two of our own researchers joined them to give an insight into their work.
Dr Marta Camacho and Associate Professor Bhavisha Parmar, who both work on Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, talked about their work and their individual journeys into research.
Just under 40 health and social care students attended over two sessions, which were held in person with Bhavisha joining in online.
Bhavisha talked about the BEARS (Both Ears) project, which has developed virtual reality games to train the spatial hearing of children and young people with bilateral cochlear implants.
Marta talked about gut-brain interactions in patients with Parkinson’s – and how the simple act of dying poop blue has helped her reach some startling new conclusions, which she shared with the students!
About the speakers
Marta Camacho is Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge. With a background in neuropsychology, Marta’s particular focus is on the gut-brain axis and the mediating role of the immune system in cognition and dementia.
Bhavisha Parmar is a Paediatric Audiologist and researcher in the SOUND lab, University of Cambridge, and Associate Professor in Audiological Sciences at UCL Ear Institute.
Dr Marta Camacho
Associate Professor Bhavishna Parmar
Health and Social Care Course Team Leader Mel Tropman said: “It is in the early weeks of our research module for our students, and it’s important to show them why research in health and social care is so important and make it meaningful.
“In my experience they quite often don’t understand why research is relevant to them, either as current students, future practitioners or as members of the public, so many thanks to Bhavisha and Marta for coming along today and sharing their research with our students.”
