Profile
Beth Eyre
My CV
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Education:
After my A-Levels I went to the University of Leeds (2013-2017) to do my undergraduate degree, where I went to the University of Queensland in Australia (2015-2016) for one year.
I decided to do my masters degree at the University of Sheffield (2018-2019) and I’ve stayed at Sheffield to complete my PhD, where I am currently in my first year.
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Qualifications:
I have GCSE’s in English language, English Literature, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Geography, Leisure & Tourism, Spanish, IT, PE, RE.
A-Levels in Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Classics (Ancient Rome & Ancient Greece studies) and an AS Level in Maths.
I also have a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Cognitive neuroscience and human neuroimaging (brain stuff). I’m currently doing a PhD in psychology/neuroscience.
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Work History:
I’ve had lots of jobs since I was about 16. I’ve worked as a sales assistant at River Island, as a tutor, as a boating instructor at a camp in America and I’ve also been a teaching Assistant.
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Current Job:
PhD researcher.
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About Me:
I am a fun, free spirited individual who loves brains, whales and pizza.
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Read more
I have always loved learning new things. At school I became obsessed with the brain and was lucky enough to be able to study Psychology at GCSE level. I always wondered why people behave the way they do and studying psychology allowed me to learn more about this.
At university I got to do some neuroscience courses as part of my degree and I realised that I was especially interested in the biology/neuroscience of the brain, and how what happens inside our brain leads us to behave in certain ways.
However, when I’m not learning about the brain you might find me hiking (one day I would like to walk the pacific crest trail, a walk from Mexico to Canada), eating pizza or watching documentaries (about whales). I also LOVE travelling, and I try to go to a new country once a year.
Yes, that is me next to a humpback whale in Australia!
Last year I went to Mexico!
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Read more
In the brain we have nerve cells called neurons. Neurons can talk to other neurons using electricity or chemicals. Just like the rest of the body, the brain needs to be continually flooded with blood, because blood carries oxygen and glucose (which keeps our neurons alive). Blood flowing through the brain also takes away things that are bad for the brain (like carbon dioxide). In a healthy brain, when neurons want to talk to other neurons they fire. When they fire there is also an increase in the amount of blood sent to that area to make sure that those neurons get the oxygen and energy they need, BUT in some brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease this doesn’t happen- this means that neurons can die.
Alzheimer’s disease is a ‘neurodegenerative disease’. This means that the brain gets sicker overtime. Lots of changes happen to the brain in an individual with Alzheimer’s disease. For example, brain cells die (so the brain gets smaller), proteins build up (amyloid beta) and tangles also form. The main thing that these changes lead to is a loss in memory.
My research uses an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease, where genes have been changed so that mice get a build-up of amyloid beta plaques (proteins) in the brain. I then use light to look at the levels of oxygen in the blood inside the brain and I use electrodes to measure the activity and firing of neurons to help us understanding what happens in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease. -
My Typical Day:
I get to the lab around 8 (I like early mornings) and make sure I have my second coffee of the day (VERY IMPORTANT). I usually read some journals and try to do a bit of writing. If I’m doing an experiment, I get to spend my day in a dark room where I use light to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood. Some days I get to help out with teaching, my favourite thing to help teach is brain dissection.
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No day is the same when you’re a PhD student, which is what is so great about being a PhD student!
My office is in a lab at my university. We have the office side where people do their researching and writing and we also have the experimental rooms- with cool microscopes and imaging equipment in them.
Office day
Some days I spend lots of time reading and writing about the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. Whereas other days I hang out with mice in a dark room. I also try to spend time learning to code, as this is a really important skill in science, as being able to code helps you analyse data you get from experiments.
I also spend a lot of my day talking to other people in my lab, such as other PhD students and my supervisors. This is a really great way to learn to more about my research area and it’s always nice to hear about their research too! My supervisors are experts in the field, so it’s always good to get their opinion/insight about things.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
The money would be used to develop an interactive, fun workshop that could be adapted for primary and secondary schools. It would aim to teach young people about the brain and also what can go wrong with the brain. The workshop would include interactive activities and video visualisations.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Optimistic. Inquisitive. Weird.
What did you want to be after you left school?
Psychologist or Lawyer
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes. For talking too much. (I still talk too much).
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Probably Catfish and the Bottlemen
What's your favourite food?
PIZZA
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
That I stay positive about life. Good health for myself, family and friends.
Tell us a joke.
What do you call a smart group of trees? A brainforest.
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