A PHOTOGRAPHY exhibition has opened in Reading, showcasing some of Thames Valley’s cutting-edge NHS research.
The Body Unlocked: How Research is Changing Lives features life-sized pictures of students, researchers, cells and bacteria, and will be hosted by Broad Street Mall until late September.
The studies illustrated in the exhibition are taking place in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire with support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
Among those featured in the exhibitions is Richard Lelliott, who has conducted research in the experiences of people with autism after being diagnosed with autism aged 47.
Mr Lelliott said: “When making plans with people without autism, they’re very vague: we’ll do this and that. To an autistic person, we’re finite, we’ve got one chain of thought and that’s it.
“Being out gives you a lot of sensory overload, you end up going out and doing what you need to do before going back home and withdrawing yourself, like you’re living in a trench.
“When I’m anxious, or get upset about other problems like the car breaking down or the house being a mess, I get into a lot of stress and it turns into this inner voice which derails me, telling me I’m evil or bad.
He believes that volunteering for medical research helps develop a better understanding of conditions, and improved assessment and treatment outcomes for patients.
“I know volunteering does not necessarily help me directly, but what can be learned from my patient history could have serious benefits for others with autism,” Mr Lelliott explained.
“This exhibition is a great way for the public to learn about the life-changing medical research taking place here in Berkshire.”
Images included in the exhibition include surgeons preparing a pioneering gene therapy injection for vision loss, dogs smelling urine to detect cancer, a close-up on cells responsible for controlling blood sugar and a virtual reality headset to treat mental illnesses.
More than 9,200 participants volunteered for health research studies supported by the NIHR Clinical Research Network in Berkshire in the 12 months from April 2022.
The gallery can be visited at the shopping centre, which is open from 9am-6pm from Monday-Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday.
For more information about the research and upcoming opportunities, visit: bepartofresearch.uk
