Institute of Physics lecture at Exeter School

Exeter School was delighted to welcome Dr Natalie Garrett to Exeter School on 28 September to give two talks on her work as a Biophotonics researcher at the University of Exeter.

The lecture was sponsored by the Institute of Physics and Dr Garrett presented her work to a group of around 90 Sixth Form scientists in the morning and all Middle Fifth pupils, as well as around 100 pupils from other local schools, in the afternoon.

Pupils provided lots of really positive feedback about the talk that built up slowly to show how Dr Garrett, after studying Physics at degree level, is now using her work on Biophotonics to analyse drug delivery to the brain for use in fighting cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

She wove together elements of Physics, through the use of lasers and "coherent Raman scattering", Chemistry, through the description and use of various nanoparticles to deliver chemicals to the areas needed, and Biology, through understanding of the blood-brain barrier and the circulatory network in the brain.

There were many memorable sections from seeing a picture of a "brainbow" to listening to how Dr Garrett prepares her mouse brains for analysis and also the amazing resolution that her lab equipment can obtain when tracking individual nanoparticles through the brain.

Dr Garrett spoke about the many opportunities that arise when doing a Physics PhD and gave a truly inspiring lecture that showed just one of the fascinating research fields that Physics can take you to. We thank her and the Institute of Physics wholeheartedly.