My first Magazine SFI Little Book - April Re-print edits included | Page 48

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Early warning system
against stroke
What if you could predict a person’s risk of stroke before
it happened? This is the aim of HRB Clinician Scientist,
Prof Peter Kelly at the Mater Misericordiae University
Hospital and UCD. He and his team are studying plaque
build-up in the carotid arteries of patients who have
had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a mild stroke that
doesn’t cause apparent damage. Using PET imaging
and MRI to assess the extent of inflammation and the
structure of plaque deposition, the team can build
up a risk profile of imminent stroke and take
preventative measures.

www.mater.ie
www.ucd.ie

Smart Futures
92
International research continues to highlight the
importance of giving young people access to role models
if negative stereotypes about STEM are to be challenged,
and we are to see greater participation by females and
students from lower-economic backgrounds. Science
Foundation Ireland’s Smart Futures programme gives
school students in Ireland access to over 1,500 volunteers
from STEM-related industry and research centres across
the country. Since 2013, over 92,000 students have had
an opportunity to hear first-hand how diverse careers
in science, tech and engineering are, with over 50+
partners donating approximately 5,000 hours each year
to deliver free school visits.
www.smartfutures.ie