Gemma Webster wins British Science Association perspectives competition.
Posted: 18/09/2009
Ms Gemma Webster, a PhD student from the School of Computing at the University of Dundee, has won the British Science Association perspectives competition for her poster, ‘What's in a label?’
perspectives is a poster competition in which researchers funded by the UK Research Councils present and explore the social implications of their work.
Gemma’s poster deals with dementia. At first sight it’s a food label. It describes Helen, an 87-year old woman with dementia, in the terms of popular stereotype. “Directions: Place contents in a chair and move once or twice a day.
“Ingredients: awkward; demanding; irritating; forgetful.”
Gemma explains that it “aims to help staff see the whole person, not just the illness, and treat the person as an individual not simply a set of needs to service… A commonly held view is that older people are not as valuable or interesting as the young members of society. The aim of this poster is to challenge that view and show that older people are valuable assets to our society.”
Another arresting poster shows the wrinkled face of an old woman. “I’m doing basic research on the best model system for ageing in humans,” said the poster’s designer, Penelope Mason, from Oxford University and a runner-up in the competition. “We want people to be able to live as healthily as possible for as long as possible. I hope they will feel that ageing is not scary. We can deal with this.”
The perspectives scheme is organised by the British Science Association and is funded by Research Councils UK who see it as essential that researchers consider the societal and ethical benefits which innovative research brings to people and communities around the world. Out of 90 entries 36 were selected to design and exhibit a poster at the British Science Festival, which was held at the University of Surrey from 6-10 September, bringing over 350 of the UK’s top scientists and engineers to discuss the latest developments, http://www.britishsciencefestival.org