Researchers from Imperial's BHF Centre of Research Excellence win prizes in Reflections of Research competition <em>- News</em>
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By Laura Gallagher and Colin Smith
Friday 12 February 2010
Romantic couples strolling by the London Eye on Valentine's Day will be able to see a fascinating image of the heart created by Imperial College London researchers.
The image is being exhibited on London's South Bank until Monday 15 February, following a competition called 'Reflections of Research', which invited scientists funded by the British Heart Foundation across the UK to submit images and videos representing their field of research. The images and videos show the pioneering UK work that is helping to unearth new ways to tackle heart and circulatory disease.
Researchers from Imperial's BHF Centre of Research Excellence won the movie category of the competition, for the film ‘Blood Streams of the Heart', and were runners up in the image category, for the image 'Growing new heart muscle cells.'
The winning movie, created by Dr Michael Markl from the University of Freiburg and Imperial's Dr Philip Kilner, shows blood streaming through both sides of a healthy human heart. In the future, doctors may be able to use this and other types of imaging to help simulate the movements and flow of an individual patient's heart.
Watch the video (right) and hear Dr Kilner describe how the movie was created, what it shows, and how it relates to his research.
The winning images and videos were chosen by a panel of experts including the scientist and broadcaster Dr Alice Roberts; Andrew Cohen, editor of BBC Horizon; Eric Hilaire, science picture editor at the Guardian; and Professor Sir Christopher Edwards, Chairman of BHF Council.
About the movie, judge Dr Alice Roberts commented: "Wonderful dynamic imaging showcasing interesting new diagnostic technology. Fascinating to be able to visualise flow through heart. Split-screen for left and right sides of the heart makes for uncluttered and visually appealing image."
Dr Kilner studied sculpture as well as medicine and he was recently interviewed on BBC Radio 4 about the relationship between his sculpture and his clinical work for a programme called 'What Scientists Believe'. Dr Kilner was also shortlisted for a prize in the image category, for a series of drawings of the heart called 'The heart’s fluent dance'.
The image that scooped the runner-up prize shows heart muscle cells grown from stem cells in the laboratory. This image was created by Dr Gabor Foldes, Professor Sian Harding, Professor Michael Schneider and Dr Nadire Ali.
Judge Andrew Cohen described the image as "a striking ethereal image that combines awe, beauty and hope."
Watch the movie (right) and hearDr Gabor Foldes talking about how the image was created, what it shows, and how it relates to research in the BHF Centre of Research Excellence.
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Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © Imperial College London.
