The Locker Cafe, 54 King Street, Cambridge CB1 1LN
Wed 11th Apr, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
For thousands of years, the sheep was man’s (second) best friend. But with urbanisation, the closest many of us come to a sheep is on the shelf of the supermarket. Our understanding of these remarkable animals has diminished and we have lost our appreciation of their capabilities.
As our population ages, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are stalking modern society. Though sheep are not obvious laboratory animals, their large brains and long lives make them ideal subjects for studying the late-onset progressive neurological disorders that are so difficult to model in mice. Join Professor Jenny Morton to find out more about measuring these complex cognitive functions, including face recognition.
Jenny is a neurobiologist and academic, specialising in human neurodegenerative diseases. She is Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Cambridge, and a Professorial Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge. Her main research interest is Huntington’s disease, which she is using sheep to model its early stage. Her research has led her to develop many ways of measuring neurological function in sheep, most recently showing that sheep can recognise human faces from photographs.
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This is a free and non-ticketed event.
Doors open at 18:45 so arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Drinks and snacks will be available to purchase from the cafe.