• In collaboration with the Royal Society of Biology, Aston University’s School of Biosciences has released two new short videos showcasing its research
• They include interviews with professors and PhD students about work on dementia prevention and traumatic brain injury research
• The videos are part of the ‘Biology for a Better Tomorrow’ series produced for Biology Week 2024 which runs from 7-11 October.

The latest research in dementia prevention and traumatic brain injury at Aston University’s School of Biosciences features in a new series of videos released to celebrate Biology Week from 7-11 October 2024.

The Royal Society of Biology (RSB) has launched ‘Biology for a Better Tomorrow’, a digital series produced in partnership with Content With Purpose (CWP). This series highlights the vital role of biosciences in tackling sustainability challenges through stories of innovative research and real-world solutions.

With themes inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it features contributions from leading biologists and organisations. The series showcases how biology is driving progress in climate action, biodiversity, clean energy, and good health and wellbeing, while inspiring new generations to see biosciences as a force for change.

Professor Roslyn Bill is the co-director of Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), a unique, interdisciplinary research and training hub for translational membrane science, that was established in August 2024 with a £10m grant from Research England.

Her work, which was also the focus of a recent Aston Originals podcast, is on the brain cell membrane proteins called aquaporins, which control the movement of water in and out of cells. The way in which these tiny aquaporins can do this was discovered during research into the catastrophic brain swelling that occurs after a traumatic brain injury and led to more research into the buildup of waste products in the brain, which can lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Professor Bill is now working to develop small molecules that may eventually become drugs to delay or prevent the onset of such conditions.

She says:

“Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. I want to stop that from happening, and I think I have the answer.”

Two of the School of Biosciences’ PhD students, David Jenkins and Sasha Keiran, feature in a second video, alongside dean of the School, Professor Andrew Devitt. The video highlights the collaboration between different specific disciplines and the supportive community developed amongst the researchers, which have been crucial to research. David explains how his research into brain cells and cell membranes will feed into the work of AIME and benefit the world of the future.

Professor Devitt says:

“Our aim at Aston University is to make the world a better place, through education, through research, and innovation. For our students, they will join a community that is close-knit and passionate about biology.”

Watch the full series of videos on the Royal Society of Biology’s website.