Special NHS research exhibition opens in Newbury

Photography display at museum shows ground-breaking work carried out by the NHS

A PHOTOGRAPHY exhibition showcasing ground-breaking NHS research taking place across the Thames Valley has opened in Newbury.

The Body Unlocked: How Research is Changing Lives features life-sized photographs of people who have taken part in studies, researchers at work and miscropic images of cells and bacteria.

The exhibition, at the newly reopened West Berkshire Museum, in the Wharf, continues until August 27 and will visit other venues in the Thames Valley.

The studies highlighted in the exhibition are taking place in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire, with support from the National Institute for Health Research.

Images include surgeons preparing a pioneering gene therapy injection for vision loss, dogs smelling urine to detect cancer, a close-up of cells responsible for controlling blood sugar and a virtual reality headset to treat mental illnesses.

Among those featured in the exhibition is Richard Lelliott, from Newbury, who took part in studies into the experiences of people with autism and mental illness, after being diagnosed with the condition aged 47.

People with autism can find it hard to communicate and interact with others, experience heightened sensory sensitivity such as sounds and do or think the same things over and over.

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 voice which derails me, telling me I’m evil or bad.

“Volunteering for medical research helps build a greater understanding of medical conditions, 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.

“This exhibition is a great way for the public to learn about the life-changing medical research taking place here in Berkshire.”

The museum is open Wednesday to Friday, from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free and safety measures are in place.

To learn more about the exhibition, visit www.thebodyunlocked.info