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Animal models and culturing cells on flat plastic surfaces have been crucial in discovering new medicines, however, these methods can fall short, as over 90% of possible medicines fail when given to humans. Why? Because humans and animals harbour many differences, and because plastic cell culture dishes are such a different environment compared to the human body. Can we replace these with new, cheaper and more human-relevant models?

Tonight’s speaker, Lauren Hope, will introduce the concepts behind some of this new research, and will discuss her PhD project: developing a 3D-printed model of the bone marrow for drug screening against Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, an aggressive blood cancer. This involves printing materials known as hydrogels, which can have a similar stiffness compared to human bone marrow. Therefore, this project aims to answer: can we 3D-print bone marrow?

Lauren completed her Bachelor’s degree in Genetics at the University of Glasgow, and is in the final year of her PhD at the University of Glasgow with the LifETIME (Engineered Tissues for Discovery, Industry and Medicine) Centre for Doctoral Training. Before starting her PhD, she completed a placement at the University of Glasgow studying the growth of bone cancer cells on titanium surfaces, and has completed a three-month-long placement with Animal Free Research UK as part of her PhD.

Twitter handle: @laurenhope97

Additional Details:
This is event is free to attend, although we will be asking for donations at the end of the talk. Participants are under no obligation whatsoever to donate, however please rest assured that the money we collect doesn’t end up in anyone’s pocket – it is used to fund our overhead costs, and travel/accommodation for our speakers who come from further afield.

Accessibility:
As per the policy of the Admiral Bar, access to the venue “can only be provided to patrons who are sufficiently mobile and capable of independently evacuating premises, or with the minimum of assistance”. Unfortunately, this leaves the basement inaccessible to most wheelchair users.