At the heart of health research and education

Tuesday, 09 September 2014

The University of Reading is showing its position at the forefront of the study of Britain's biggest killer illnesses - cardiovascular disease - this week with the launch of an innovative free online course, while also hosting a major research conference.

Reading is hosting the autumn conference of the British Society for Cardiovascular Research (BSCR) in the Palmer building on 8 and 9 September 2014.

The same week, Reading's latest free online course, Heart health: a beginner's guide to cardiovascular disease - a four-week programme aimed at the general public and run by the University through the FutureLearn platform, is beginning for thousands of people around the world.

As well as providing informative online videos, discussions and background material, the course is particularly innovative in encouraging learners to carry out hands-on practical experiments at home to help them understand the workings of the heart.

This will include full instructions and guidance on how to dissect a lamb's heart, which is easily and readily available from many supermarkets and butchers' shops, as well as investigating the effects of blood clots and heart failure. Course organisers hope this new, free online course will help learners of all ages who wish to find out more about the workings of the heart.

Professor Jon Gibbins, director of Reading's Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research (ICMR), said: "Giving people hands-on experience of science, allowing them to make their own discoveries and see for themselves how things work, is the best way to teach them and inspire them to find out more.

"That's how we teach our undergraduates at Reading, and we're now extending the principle to learners on our new online course. We can only tackle heart disease if scientists and the public work together, to learn what's going on and help find a cure for when things go wrong.

"We're also delighted to welcome around 200 researchers from around the world to the BSCR conference, which will be discussing the very latest developments in the fight to beat heart disease."

Among the speakers at the conference will be Professor Mark Sussman, from San Diego, USA, whose lecture on how damaged hearts can be encouraged to repair themselves will lead discussions about this cutting edge area of research. The event has been made possible with funding from the University and outside sponsors, and is being organised by ICMR staff members Sam Boateng and Kat Bicknell, with Oxford's Carolyn Carr.