Biomedical Science: How Your Brain is Wired by Dr Samantha Alsbury, STEMNET/The University of Greenwich

Your brain is amazingly sophisticated; in order to function correctly millions of cells within it must connect with each other and with the rest of your body. Dr Alsbury’s research uses the humble fruit fly to build a better understanding of how these connections are made. Dr Alsbury will talk about the brain, fruit flies and why they are good for research and then about her own research specifically.

Suitable for: Year 12/Year 13

Preparation/Pre-reading: It would be helpful for students to prepare questions in advance relating to studying this subject at university. These questions may cover, for example, the application process, course structure, and university lifestyle.

Biography of Dr Samantha Alsbury

I am a lecturer at the University of Greenwich where I teach genetics as well as pursuing my research. After studying A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, English Literature and Environmental Science I began an undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of East Anglia. After spending the third year of my degree in the sunshine of southern California I chose to specialise in molecular biology and genetics. I then moved to London to enjoy the life and culture of a somewhat bigger city, and to take my post-graduate degree at University College London. I remained in London for six years doing research into the wiring of the nervous system at King’s College London before moving out to the Kent countryside to make the University of Greenwich my home.