EY1920 Year Book

9 8 Asai Yoshi Nobu Intercalated degree in neuroscience Lectures on: - Cell and molecular neuroscience - Spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries - Nerve regeneration and repair - Experimental neuropathology - Laboratory methods - Perspectives on brain disorders Before taking on this course, I had limited understanding about the brain, arguably one of the most complex systems in the human body. Every lesson intrigued me and motivated me to learn more about our sensation, executive functions as well as the importance of maintaining brain health. Clinical research Electrical vagal nerve stimulation in Ulcerative Colitis: A double blind placebo- controlled study of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation in a model of acute psychological stress This was my first time experiencing what it is like to work in a clinical study. I realized there is a great amount of preparation involved, such as obtaining ethics approval, collecting preliminary data. Unfortunately due to the spread of COVID-19, our study was temporarily suspended. But I was still able to obtain data for interim analysis, which shows promising results: The administration of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation through the gammaCore device shows promising anti-inflammatory results in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis. A trend towards anti- TNF α effect, an increase in parasympathetic tone and reduced psychological stress have been observed with t- VNS in a model of acute psychological stress. Stimulation of the vagus nerve is therefore a potentially novel therapeutic target in the treatment of UC. An increasing academic awareness of the brain-gut axis and how the ANS is affects intestinal inflammation would likely be helpful in promoting more research into IBD treatment strategies. In order to better understand the role of the autonomic nervous system in the development of IBD, I had to understand more about the cholinergic anti- inflammatory pathway. Creating this diagram also greatly deepened my understanding of the anti-inflammatory effects of vagal stimulation. Cultural experiences Throughout the year, I greatly enjoyed travelling to different places around Europe, such as Finland, Portugal and France. Immersing myself into different cultures was an eye-opening experience. In my flat in London, I also lived with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, which taught me a lot about their way of life and how to be sensitive and respectful. MBBS Enrichment Year 2019/20 Au Yeuk Ying Anson Full Year < IC - I nter c alate d d egree at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, U K > Au Yeuk Ying Anson