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The tenth Cheltenham Science Festival took place between 12th and 17th June. The festival, currently chaired by Oxford’s Professor Russell Foster, brings together some of the World’s most innovative scientists from all fields to engage the public on the science behind today’s news stories, advances and issues.

Oxford Neuroscientists who participated include:

  • Professor Russell Foster (NDCN) on his collaboration with Professor Till Roenneberg, from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, exploring how circadian rhythms differed between the German and British populations.
  • Dr Richard Wade-Martins (DPAG), together with Professor Peter Jenner (King’s College), discussed the causes, current treatments and future outlook for Parkinson’s patients and how the disease affects their lives.
  • Professor Cath Harmer (Psychiatry) and Dr Carmine Pariante (King’s College) spoke about ‘The Depressed Brain’, including how triggers such as stress affect the brain and cause depression.
  • Dame Kay Davies (DPAG) joined Professor Robert Winston and Dr Caroline Wright for a debate on genetic screening and its implications.
  • Professor Robin Dunbar, who has recently joined Experimental Psychology from Anthropology, explored romantic love and how our evolutionary programming still affects our behaviour.
  • Dr Zam Cader (NDCN) and Dr Anne MacGregor (Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry), discussed new research into causes, triggers and treatments of migraine. Dr Cader recently identified a gene involved in the condition.
  • Professor Mark Williams (Psychiatry), Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, discussed mindfulness in his lecture ‘Learn to live in the moment.’

For more information on the festival, please visit the website.