Skip to content

Research into potential heart attack test part of 'Pint of Science' festival

Published:

pint of science

Members of the public can hear University of Bradford academics talk about the latest in cutting edge science, including Dr Kirsten Riches-Suman whose expertise is on blood vessels and what causes them to prematurely age. 

One aspect of the research is looking at the links between major blood vessels of the heart and smaller blood vessels in the skin to see if they share common signatures. 

Dr Kirsten Riches-Suman

Dr Riches-Suman, pictured above, said: “If there are common signatures, that means we could detect the condition of the major blood vessels by using a small ‘punch’ biopsy from the skin on a person’s hand, which could be carried out by a GP or in a clinic.

“In the future, it could be part of routine screening on people, say, over 40 years old and develop personalised medicine for vascular disease. 

“The ultimate aim is to save lives.”

Tickets for the talks, to be held at BrewDog, Cafe Liza and Theatre in the Mill, cost £5.

Topics include: 

  • 'The healthy fat that makes you thin,' with Dr Gisela Helfer
  • 'Should cash be abolished? If so, what comes next?' with Dr Rashmi Arora
  • 'A hair-raising adventure,' with Dr David Ansell
  • Blood vessels: Ageing, disease and repair,' with Dr Kirsten Riches-Suman
  • 'Does how you live determine whether you get dementia?' with Dr Ritchie Williamson 

Organiser Dr Ritchie Williamson, Director of Research - Life Course, University of Bradford, said: "Pint of Science makes science accessible. Everyone is welcome to come along and listen to engaging talks by leading researchers over a cup of tea or a pint of beer. 

"We've got some fantastic talks this year, ranging from whether we should abolish cash to how pollution affects the heart, all delivered in a really easy to understand and engaging way. You don't need to be a scientist to come, you just need to be interested in topics that affect our everyday lives." 

You can view the full programme of events and book tickets here.