Dr Guy Sutton's Brain Day gets students' synapses working

Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s annual Brain Day gets the Psychology and Biology students’ grey matter working, while they don the latex gloves and get hands-on with the hypothalamus and the cerebellum.

Our special guest, Dr Guy Sutton, visits each year with his box of sheep’s brains, with students given the chance to gain a visceral insight into neuroscience, which many may choose to study at university. After performing dissections and highlighting the areas of the brain that control the different functions, students are given the chance to handle the brains themselves, which always proves popular among the less squeamish, and offers a fairly peculiar selfie opportunity!

Along with the practical side of Dr Sutton’s visit, students learn about the reasons behind certain behaviours and the inner working of the brain, along with some fascinating pieces of information such as that some specific surgery on the brain has to be performed when the patient is awake, and that some people are born without an entire section of the brain.

Dr Sutton, Director of Medical Biology Interactive and Honorary Consultant Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham Medical School, emphasised how both Biology and Psychology students can take huge benefits from the study and appreciation of neuroscience.

He said: “I hope they get out a feel for how the brain works and the complexities of it, from the number of synapses involved to brain disorders. Psychology students can learn just as much as Biology students. Psychological processes are underpinned by biological mechanisms in the brain.”

Dr Sutton continued: “How much control do we have over our behaviour? Do we really have free will? This is a big debate. For instance, some University of Exeter research suggests that, with antisocial and aggressive behaviour, up to 70% of individuals involved will report having some kind of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Often this can occur around childhood.”

In this, Dr Sutton’s seventh year visiting the college, he said: “I’ve always enjoyed my relationship with Birkenhead Sixth Form College. It was the first places that I started running brain sessions with schools so I’ve got a sort of emotional attachment! The students are really responsive every time so it’s always nice to come back.”