On the 24th of January 2024, the Brain, Language, and Behaviour (BLB) Lab at UWE Bristol took a significant step in sharing its interdisciplinary research by participating in the School of Arts Research Showcase. This event, held at Bristol’s harbourside MShed, hosted a convergence of diverse talents and expertise, providing a platform for the BLB Lab to present their ground-breaking work alongside other researchers and postgraduate students from UWE’s School of Arts.
In a setting that celebrated the fusion of art, science, and innovation, the BLB Lab PhD students, Hajira Mumtaz, Tom Williamson, and Sonia Mariotti, captivated the audience with their insights into the intersection of neurosurgery, linguistics, psychology, and clinical care. Their presentations shed light on the collaborative efforts aimed at understanding the complexities of brain function and behaviour, while also emphasising the practical applications of the lab’s research in clinical settings.
The BLB Lab showcase commenced with the trailer of ‘My Beautiful Broken Brain’, a documentary film about the life of 34-year-old Lotje Sodderland after she suffered a haemorrhagic stroke. As a result of her stroke, Lotje experienced aphasia, the complete loss of her ability to read, write, or speak coherently. The documentary shows the challenges of communicating with language impairments, followed by intensive rehabilitation on the journey to recovery, allowing the audience at MShed to empathise with survivors of acquired brain injury.
Additionally, the showcase provided a unique opportunity for attendees to delve into the cutting-edge research in neurosurgical language testing. The PhD students were able to show how language testing is conducted with awake patients in the operating theatre, and attendees could even try firsthand some of the language tasks that are administered during the surgery. The opportunity to experience the BLB Lab research activity offered a glimpse into the intricate fields of psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics, pushing research efforts at the intersection of academia and clinical practice.
The Research Showcase also provided a platform for collaboration and exchange, fostering dialogue between researchers from diverse disciplines. The BLB Lab team engaged with colleagues from the School of Arts, exploring potential synergies and interdisciplinary initiatives that could further enrich their research endeavours. For instance, multidisciplinarity is a key component of the BLB Lab, whose members’ background spans from neurosurgery, speech and language therapy, to psychology, linguistics, and art.
The BLB Lab members are looking forward to the next event where they will present the their work in progress – stay tuned!
