Podcast appearances and mentions of irene tracey

A year ago, Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, and Andrew Williamson, chief executive of venture capital firm Cambridge Innovation Capital, published their UK government-sponsored report into the spinout ecosystem with a list of 11 recommendations on how to uplift the sector.

In this episode of Oxford+, host Susannah de Jager is joined by Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and co-author of the University Spin Out Review, to delve into the myths and truths uncovered through the review. Through the conversation, they discuss the role of universities in fostering innovation, the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in the sector, and the importance of private investment in university projects.(0:12) Introduction(1:11) The University Spin Out Review(8:52) Can every university town can have its own cluster?(22:27) The future for Oxford(33:28) Addressing the entrepreneurship gender gap(39:20) Exploring university fundingAbout the guest:Irene Tracey is a distinguished academic and current Vice Chancellor of Oxford University. Her association with Oxford dates back to her undergraduate studies in biochemistry. After graduating from Oxford, she specialised in Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Harvard Medical School before returning to Oxford in 1997 as a founding member of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, where she served as director from 2005 to 2015. Irene has occupied numerous senior leadership roles within the University and has contributed to numerous national and international committees in her field of research. Notably, she co-authored the University Spin Out Review with Andrew Williamson from Cambridge Innovation Capital, contributing significantly to discussions around the investment ecosystem in and around Oxford.Find out more about Irene's work with the University of Oxford here.Read the University Spin Out Review here.About the host:Susannah de Jager is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.Connect with Susannah on LinkedInVisit our website to learn more and subscribe to our newsletter - oxfordplus.co.ukIf you have a question for Susannah, please get in touch - oxfordplus.co.uk/contactOxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager, supported by Mischon de Reya and produced and edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

This edition of Airing Pain focuses on the treatment of pain, the importance of catering treatment to a person's individual genetic makeup, and why addressing the psychological dimensions of pain is crucial in treating it effectively.  The process of finding a medication or treatment that works for a person often involves a lot of trial and error, which can be a frustrating process for someone to go through. This process can be side-stepped through the use of personalised medicine, where information about a person's genetic makeup is used to tailor and optimise their treatment so it is as effective as possible. Although medication is oftentimes a vital part of treating pain, incorporating psychological treatment alongside medication can be hugely beneficial when it comes to making pain management better for those living with acute or chronic pain. Changing how someone thinks about pain can enhance their response to the physical components of the treatment they receive. Our contributors for this edition discuss the ways in which the treatment of pain can be made more effective for people by incorporating personalised medicine or psychological treatments into a person's care plan. Please leave us a review on this platform or give feedback via our Airing Pain survey. Contributors: Professor Tony Dickenson, Professor of Neuropharmacology at University College London. Dr. Beth Darnall, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Director, Stanford Pain Relief Innovations Lab. Professor Irene Tracey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford and a Professor of Anaesthetic Neuroscience in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Read transcript Thanks: This edition of was made possible thanks to funding from the Guy Fawkes Charitable Trust and support from the British Pain Society. Time Stamps: 1:11 Paul introduces Professor Tony Dickenson,who he spoke to at the British Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2022. 3:21 Professor Tony Dickenson discusses ‘precision medicine', ‘personalised medicine', and how looking at peoples' genetic makeup can help medical professionals treat pain more effectively.  14:21 Paul introduces Dr Beth Darnall, who he spoke to at the British Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2023. 14:54 Dr Beth Darnall explains the psychological components of how people experience pain. 20:24 Paul introduces Professor Irene Tracy, who he spoke to at the British Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2023.  20:57 Dr Irene Tracy discusses the work she's done on neuroimaging and how the human brain constructs the experience of pain.  23:22 Paul and Dr Tracy talk about what neuroimaging tells us about the multidimensional way the human brain reacts to pain. 26:06 Beginning of discussion about Empowered Relief, a psychology-based intervention that provides people with skills and tools to help manage their acute or chronic pain.  26:31 Dr Beth Darnall discusses the psychological side of treating pain and how empowered relief is used to help people manage their pain. 29:10 Dr Beth Darnall talks about the psychological tools people learn through Empowered Relief and how they help with pain management.    Additional Resources: Airing Pain 100: Glasgow Pain Education Sessions Empowered Relief  Pain Matters 80: What treatment really works 

Coming 10 April: This edition of Airing Pain focuses on the treatment of pain, the importance of catering treatment to a person's individual genetic makeup, and why addressing the psychological dimensions of pain is crucial in treating it effectively.   Our contributors for this edition discuss the ways in which the treatment of pain can be made more effective for people by incorporating personalised medicine or psychological treatments into a person's care plan.  This edition will be funded by the Guy Fawkes Charitable Trust and was created with support from the British Pain Society. Contributors:  Professor Tony Dickenson, Professor of Neuropharmacology at University College London  Dr. Beth Darnall, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Director, Stanford Pain Relief Innovations Lab. Professor Irene Tracey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford and a Professor of Anaesthetic Neuroscience in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. 

On Thursday, the UK celebrated the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush which made the 5,000 mile journey from the Caribbean to England in 1948. The passengers were mainly made up of ex-servicemen along with over 200 bold, pioneering women. Veteran nurse and founder of the Windrush Cymru Elders, Roma Taylor, former nurse Allyson Williams and journalist Amina Taylor join Nuala to discuss their experiences of leaving home to help rebuild Britain after WWII. As visitors walk through the doors of the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery in London, they will see 45 hand-drawn portraits of women by British artist Tracey Emin, that have been cast in bronze. They are said to represent every woman. Tracey speaks to Krupa Padhy about her creative process and what she hopes people will take away from the images. Professor Irene Tracey is only the second ever female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. In the last few weeks she has had to deal with several angry protests in Oxford over the appearance of Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union. She allowed the talk to go ahead, saying, ‘we have to defend free speech'. Professor Tracey joins Nuala to talk about the battle over free speech, as well as what it's like being a woman in the world of academia. Comedian Bridget Christie's stand-up has been credited with putting the funny in feminism. You might know her from Taskmaster or Ghosts. Now she's created and stars in a comedy drama called The Change, which starts this week on Channel 4. She plays Linda, a woman who turns 50, discovers she's menopausal and abandons her family to go off and find herself in the Forest of Dean. Bridget joins Nuala in studio. Nuala McGovern talks to Rosa Abraham & Rituparna Chakraborty about the fact that nearly half of the population in India is female, but the number of working women has fallen to record lows. For the first time ever, Woman's Hour broadcast live from Glastonbury. Four time Grammy nominee and folk legend Allison Russell joined Anita live for a very special performance. Alongside being a singer and songwriter Allison is a poet, an activist and a multi-instrumentalist. Fresh from performing alongside the one and only Joni Mitchell earlier this month she is at Glastonbury, performing on The Acoustic Stage. Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Hanna Ward Studio Engineer: Bob Nettles

Nuala speaks to a woman who discovered by chance that her fiancé was secretly filming her naked in the home they shared. Victoria, not her real name, reported him to the police and he later pleaded guilty and was convicted on voyeurism charges. Last month she also won £97,000 in compensation, some of which she is aiming to put towards trying to remove the images he made of her without her consent from the internet. According to data gathered from a global network of health scientists, five-year-olds in the UK are on average up to seven centimetres shorter than their peers in other wealthy nations. To discuss the contributing factors Nuala is joined by Anna Taylor, Executive Director of nutrition charity, The Food Foundation and also by Henry Dimbleby the former government food adviser who's also written a book "Ravenous" about our consumption of ultra processed food. In India, the majority of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in the later stages and between 2019 and 2021 less than 1% of women had undergone screening. But a team of blind and partially sighted women are trying to change this by training to become Medical Tactile Examiners where they use their hands to help detect the cancer at its earliest stage. Nuala is joined by Shalini Khanna, Director of The National Association of the Blind India Centre for Blind Women and Leena Chagla, President of the Association of Breast Surgery to discuss. Professor Irene Tracey is only the second ever female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. In the last few weeks she has had to deal with several angry protests in Oxford over the appearance of Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union. She allowed the talk to go ahead, saying, ‘we have to defend free speech'. Professor Tracey joins Nuala to talk about the battle over free speech, as well as what it's like being a woman in the world of academia. Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Karen Dalziel

This episode will render you oblivious, conked out and blissfully unaware. It's about anaesthetics: those potent potions that send you into a deep, deathly sleep. Listener Alicia wants to know how they work, so our sleuths call on the expertise of consultant anaesthetist Dr Fiona Donald. Fiona shares her experience from the clinical frontline, and explains what we do and don't know about how these chemicals work their mind-numbing magic. We hear about ground-breaking research led by Professor Irene Tracey, which reveals how a pattern of slow brain waves can be used to determine the optimum dosage of these dangerous drugs. And finally, Drs Rutherford and Fry wonder: what does all this tell us about normal consciousness? Professor Anil Seth shares how we can use brain tech to measure different levels of conscious awareness – from sleepy to psychedelic.

This episode will render you oblivious, conked out and blissfully unaware. It's about anaesthetics: those potent potions that send you into a deep, deathly sleep. Listener Alicia wants to know how they work, so our sleuths call on the expertise of consultant anaesthetist Dr Fiona Donald. Fiona shares her experience from the clinical frontline, and explains what we do and don't know about how these chemicals work their mind-numbing magic. We hear about ground-breaking research led by Professor Irene Tracey, which reveals how a pattern of slow brain waves can be used to determine the optimum dosage of these dangerous drugs. And finally, Drs Rutherford and Fry wonder: what does all this tell us about normal consciousness? Professor Anil Seth shares how we can use brain tech to measure different levels of conscious awareness – from sleepy to psychedelic. Presenters: Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford Producer: Ilan Goodman

A lomgalgia acomete uma grande parte da nossa população. Entender o que é e saber como lidar é fundamental para quem cuida de pessoas e quem tem esse sintoma. Para nos ajudar a entender mais sobre o assunto, trouxemos o Professor André Mendes. Como achar o André : Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profandremendes Dicas de Leitura: Wall & Melzack's Textbook of Pain: Expert Consult - Online and Print – Martin Koltzenburg , Stephen McMahon e Irene Tracey https://amzn.to/2DaCdun --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Two questions about love and heartbreak in this episode for our Valentine's special edition. Jessica Glasco, aged 29, wrote in to ask about the power of love and how it affects our brain. Hannah tracks down Dr Helen Fisher, who conducted some of the first MRI studies on love by putting besotted couples into the brain scanner. Adam talks to broadcaster Claudia Hammond, author of Emotional Rollercoaster, to find out how psychologists have grappled with the messy business of love. And we hear why a small furry vole was thought to hold the answer to the mystery of monogamy. Our second question concerns the pain of heartbreak - why does our heart ache? Can emotional hurt cause physical pain? On call is our very own agony aunt, Irene Tracey, Prof of Pain Research. Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin

We discuss the Neuroscience of Pain perception Lukas Krone and Alex von Klemperer talk to Prof Irene Tracey of the Oxford Nuffield Clinical Neurosciences Department about her pioneering work studying chronic and acute pain through neuroimaging as well as some of her more recent projects on Aneasthetic depth. We also discuss how she approaches both being a scientist and taking on executive roles such as head of department and her life outside of science.

Pain has long been recognised as something of an enigma by scientists and clinicians. It's both a measurable physiological process, as well as deeply personal and subjective. Claudia Hammond meets scientists attending the British Neuroscience Association's Christmas symposium on pain and the brain. She talks to the so-called "queen of pain", Professor Irene Tracey of Oxford University, about how research into acute and chronic pain is being addressed. We hear from Professor Ulrike Bingel about the positive and negative effects of expectation and anxiety on painful symptoms, and how this could be harnessed to enhance the power of drug treatments and reduce side effects. Professor Tamar Makin of University College London reveals some of the latest insights into the mysterious pain associated with missing limbs and wonders if we've been getting the thinking on phantom limb pain all wrong. And why are some kinds of pain - after exercising say, almost enjoyable? Professor Siri Leknes of Oslo University discusses the curious relationship between pain and pleasure.

Smovey! a revolutionary fitness device that not only keeps you fit but helps stabilize the spine and back and has proven to benefit those living with Parkinson's disease and Arthritis. Today on 11-1 Sinéad met Irene Tracey the Waterford business woman who brought smovey to Ireland. Hear how a serendipitous walk on the beach in Lanzarote led to Irene setting up Smovey health in Ireland and how this product has improved the lives of people living with debilitating conditions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pain, as we know, is highly personal. Some can cope with huge amounts, while others reel in agony over a seemingly minor injury. Though you might feel the stab of pain in your stubbed toe or sprained ankle, it is actually processed in the brain. That is where Irene Tracey, Nuffield Professor of Anaesthetic Science at Oxford University, has been focussing her attention. Known as the Queen of Pain, she has spent the past two decades unravelling the complexities of this puzzling sensation. She goes behind the scenes, as it were, of what happens when we feel pain - scanning the brains of her research subjects while subjecting them to a fair amount of burning, prodding and poking. Her work is transforming our understanding, revealing how our emotions influence our experience of pain, how chronic pain develops and even when consciousness is present in the brain. Producer: Beth Eastwood

One thing that always gets my goat is when people caution against “negative” emotions. I know from personal experience that expressing those so-called negative emotions is the key to tremendous healing. So imagine my surprise – and delight! – when I learned that something called Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) has now been shown to reduce chronic pain. (See Can You Reshape Your Brain’s Response to Pain?) This method is essentially what i figured out on my own 25 years ago to help my pain from years of Crohn’s disease. But the implications of this now being an accepted therapy for chronic pain are incredible. So in this episode of Leading with Health, I look at the research and talk about the role of emotional expression in relieving pain. Highlights include: 5:26 – “Adverse childhood experiences are linked to major epidemics of our time – obesity, heart disease, diabetes.” 5:40 – “There is definitely a connection between trauma – especially repeated trauma and the chronic stress it induces – and our health experiences later on in life. And pain is one of those.” 7:20 – “Once you’ve gone chronic, pain is the disease rather than the symptom. Chronic pain is now understood as something new, with its own biology and own mechanisms.” – Irene Tracey, Director of Oxford Nuffield Dept. of Clinical Neurosciences 8:20 – You can’t numb out negative feelings without numbing out positive feelings … Just like you either have a sense of smell or you don’t. You can’t say I will only smell roses and never smell skunk.” 11:00 – “Difficult life experiences, adverse experiences in childhood are later predictors of chronic pain — widespread pain — years later” – Mark Lumley, psychologist at Wayne State University, who developed Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy 13:45 – The transformative impact of having chronic pain go away. 14:45 – “People don’t want to hear how emotional of an exploration this wound up being; they want to hear ‘what drug did you take?’ or ‘what exercise did you do?’ Something that’s a little more pat.” 15:30 – How a mixture of mindfulness and emotional expression ended the chronic pain legacy from my Crohn’s disease. 16:00 – The secondary step people miss about mindfulness: “I think mindfulness was a way for me to focus on my body, to move away from the distractions so I could connect with the emotions and then express the emotions.” 17:00 – How emotions that are denied expression can lead to physical pain. 22:45 – “Our society does not teach people how to be comfortable feeling their emotions so, when we feel fear, most of us have been taught to go into lock-down. Stop feeling it; run. And the minute we do that, everything we think about – all of our beliefs, all of our decisions, start stemming from that lock-down mode. And we see it as reality.” 23:15 – Why people today are so polarized: “So we are creating a whole construct of belief systems to protect this fear response because we didn’t know how to handle that fear. To the point where we don’t even know it’s there. And if you point it out to us or come anywhere near it, we fight.” 25:40 – Why feeling your anger and expressing it won’t make you an angry person. 26:50 – “Our healthcare system can’t provide what our society doesn’t understand, because our healthcare system is a microcosm of our society.” Leading with Health is hosted by Jennifer Michelle. Jennifer has a Master’s in Public Health and Epidemiology and is a certified EMT. As President of Michelle Marketing Strategies, Jennifer specializes in healthcare marketing. She is on a mission to help women find their voice so they can create a stronger, more responsive healthcare system. Article link: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/06/10/727682322/can-you-reshape-your-brains-response-to-pain/

2/6 "How fast can a human run and would we be faster as quadrapeds?" This question flew in via Twitter from Greg Jenner. Is there a limit to human sprinting performance? In this episode we investigate the biomechanics of running, statistical trends in human performance and which kind of monkey runs the fastest. But first, an experiment. Due to some spurious and possibly fictional injuries, neither Hannah nor Adam are fit enough to take part in a sprint trial at the University of Bath. So long-suffering Producer Michelle steps up to the challenge and into the starting blocks. Not known for her love of athletics, or exercise of any sort, how will she fair in the ultimate speed test? Biomechanist Peter Weyand from Texas discusses the role of different muscle types in speed versus endurance. Sports scientist Polly McGuigan reveals why Usain Lightning Bolt is still the fastest man in the world. And Prof of Sports Engineering Steve Haake reveals how fast a man can run like a monkey. "Why do people experience pain differently when they go through the same event?" asks Claire Jenkins from Cwmbran in Wales. Professor of Pain Research, Irene Tracey, welcomes Adam in to the room she calls her 'Torture Chamber'. Burning, electrocuting, lasering and piercing are all on the menu, but which will hurt the most? Hannah speaks to Steve Pete from Washington who has a rare genetic condition which means he does not feel pain. For chronic sufferers, this sounds like heaven, but a life without pain has brought untold suffering to him and his family, including the tragic story of his brother, Chris. We look at how the body creates pain, why some people feel it more than others, and how this knowledge could help scientists treat pain more effectively in the future. Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin (Photo: A runner beats the pain to make it over the finishing line in the Hong Kong Marathon 12 February 2006. Credit: Martin Chan/South China Morning Post/Getty Images)

Pain, as we know, is highly personal. Some can cope with huge amounts, while others reel in agony over a seemingly minor injury. Though you might feel the stab of pain in your stubbed toe or sprained ankle, it is actually processed in the brain. That is where Irene Tracey, Nuffield Professor of Anaesthetic Science at Oxford University, has been focussing her attention. Known as the Queen of Pain, she has spent the past two decades unravelling the complexities of this puzzling sensation. She goes behind the scenes, as it were, of what happens when we feel pain - scanning the brains of her research subjects while subjecting them to a fair amount of burning, prodding and poking. Her work is transforming our understanding, revealing how our emotions influence our experience of pain, how chronic pain develops and even when consciousness is present in the brain. Producer: Beth Eastwood

Irene Tracey, PhD, University of Oxford, UK, talks about pain brain (and spinal cord) imaging, why she thinks it’s time to rebrand or rename the term “placebo analgesia,” and her advice for young scientists.

"Why do people experience pain differently when they go through the same event?" asks Claire Jenkins from Cwmbran in Wales. Professor of Pain Research, Irene Tracey, welcomes Adam in to the room she calls her 'Torture Chamber'. Burning, electrocuting, lasering and piercing are all on the menu, but which will hurt the most? Hannah speaks to Steve Pete from Washington who has a rare genetic condition which means he doesn't feel pain. For chronic sufferers, this sounds like heaven, but a life without pain has brought untold suffering to him and his family, including the tragic story of his brother, Chris. We look at how the body creates pain, why some people feel it more than others, and how this knowledge could help scientists treat pain more effectively in the future. Presenters: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry Producer: Michelle Martin.

At the FENS Forum of Neuroscience (7–11 July, Berlin, Germany), we had the pleasure of speaking with Irene Tracey, who is a Professor based at the University of Oxford (UK). Irene is also the Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Oxford, UK), which includes a multidisciplinary taskforce working to understand neuroscience from a basic discovery perspective all the way through to clinical problems. Irene’s research particularly focuses on using neuroimaging to understand pain. In this NCTalks podcast recorded at the event, Lauren Pulling (Publisher) speaks to Irene to find out more about her talk at FENS, including significant breakthroughs within the field and if we could ever have one standardized measure of pain. View more podcasts, news and exclusive interviews at www.neuro-central.com

A lecture given by Professor Irene Tracey, Nuffield Chair of Anaesthetic Science and Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, and Warden-elect of Merton College. With over 85 billion neurons making approximately 1.5x1014 connections (synapses) and a similar quantity of non-neuronal cells all within the adult human brain, it's a feat of brilliance and beauty that our perceptions and creative thinking arise from their interplay. Our knowledge of how this occurs has grown significantly in the past few decades, and physicists have been at the forefront of this wave in understanding. In this talk, Professor Irene Tracey, Nuffield Chair of Anaesthetic Science and Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, and Warden-elect of Merton College walks you through some of the landmark discoveries and their application to the brain, highlighting Oxford's major role in developing the modern field of neuroscience. Finally, she gives a brief overview of her own work using advanced neuroimaging to understand pain perception, pain relief and anaesthesia-induced altered states of consciousness.

Does knowing that someone is inflicting pain on you deliberately make the pain worse? Professor Irene Tracey meets survivors of torture and examines the dark side of pain. Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald (Photo: A woman mourns during the funeral procession of Abdulrassul Hujairi. Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)

What if your brain could naturally control pain? Professor Irene Tracey and her colleagues are trying to unlock the natural mechanisms in the brain that limit the amount of pain we feel. We hear about how children learning judo are taught special techniques and from ex-marine Chris Shirley who ran a marathon carrying a 45kg rucksack and could ignore the pain of the blisters and torn shoulder muscles. One study found that religious people feel less pain than agnostics by looking at a picture of the Virgin Mary. Neuroscientists and psychologists are beginning to understand how this is possible, how the brain can block out pain in the right circumstances, so is this something we could all benefit from? Picture: The statue of the Virgin Mary, Credit: Francisco Leong/AFP/Getty Images Producer Geraldine Fitzgerald

Mystery still surrounds the experience of pain. It is highly subjective but why do some people feel more pain than others and why does the brain appear to switch off under anaesthesia so we are unaware of the surgeon’s scalpel? Professor Irene Tracey uses brain scanners to ask if we can actually see pain in the brain. On air we hear for the first time the results of the latest research into diabetes and nerve pain. Promising new techniques means scientists are able to see regions in the brain which effectively turn up the pain in some people and not others. Anaesthetics prevent pain during surgery but how the brain disengages is only just beginning to be understood, which could in the future lead to personalised doses of anaesthetics leading to faster recovery times. Picture: Graphic of neurons firing in the of the neural network within the Brain, Credit: Science Photo Library

In our Cerebrum article, “Finding the Hurt in Pain,” Irene Tracey, head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford, writes that pain is unique to every person, and difficult to quantify and treat. Whether it is delivered as a jolt or a persistent, dull ache, pain is guaranteed to affect one’s quality of life. Our podcast examines how brain imaging is opening our eyes to the richness and complexity of the pain experience, giving us extraordinary insight into the neurochemistry, network activity, wiring, and structures relevant to producing and modulating painful experiences in all their various guises. Tracey also discusses how imaging pain is having an increasing impact in the judiciary and in resolving end-of-life issues.

Professor Irene Tracey explains the placebo effect and how it is a normal part of our pain system. Although it is understood why we have pain – to tell us we are hurt and as a reminder not to do something again – it is not totally understood how the pain system works and how it affects individuals.

Irene Tracey is the co-founder and director of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) Irene Tracey gives a passionate insight into her career and how she balances work and life. As she puts it 'A scientific career is not an easy one to choose: it’s tough and competitive'.

Irene Tracey is the co-founder and director of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) Irene Tracey gives a passionate insight into her career and how she balances work and life. As she puts it 'A scientific career is not an easy one to choose: it’s tough and competitive'.

General anaesthetics which act to cause reversible loss of consciousness have been used clinically for over 150 years. Yet scientists are only now really understanding how these drugs act on the brain and the body to stop us feeling pain. Linda Geddes reports on the latest research using molecular techniques and brain scanners. Linda visits the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre where William Harrop-Griffiths, president of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, tells her about the discovery of agents that knock us out. And, as an operation takes place in the Royal United Hospital in Bath, professor Tim Cook explains the role of the anaesthetist. Linda also talks to professor Nick Franks of Imperial College, London, about his research into how anaesthetics work at the level of the cell. Irene Tracey, professor of Anaesthetic Science at Oxford University, discusses how her fMRI scans of people as they slowly undergo anaesthesia have revealed how the brain switches off. Professor Steven Laureys, head of the Coma Science Group at Liege Universiy in Belgium, explains how understanding anaesthesia can help coma patients and what it tells us about the difficult question of human consciousness.

General anaesthetics which act to cause reversible loss of consciousness have been used clinically for over 150 years. Yet scientists are only now really understanding how these drugs act on the brain and the body to stop us feeling pain. Linda Geddes reports on the latest research using molecular techniques and brain scanners. Linda visits the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre where William Harrop-Griffiths, President of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, tells her about the discovery of agents that knock us out. As an operation takes place in the Royal United Hospital in Bath, Professor Tim Cook explains the role of the anaesthetist. Linda talks to Professor Nick Franks of Imperial College, London, about his research into how anaesthetics work at the level of the cell. Irene Tracey, Professor of Anaesthetic Science at Oxford University, discusses how her fMRI scans of people as they slowly undergo anaesthesia have revealed how the brain switches off. Professor Steven Laureys, Head of the Coma Science Group at Liege University in Belgium, explains how understanding anaesthesia can help coma patients and what it tells us about the difficult question of human consciousness.

Irene Tracey gives a passionate insight into her career and how she balances work and life. As she puts it 'A scientific career is not an easy one to choose: it’s tough and competitive'. Irene Tracey is the co-founder and director of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB).

In this special anniversary programme Claudia Hammond looks at developments in neuroscience and how our understanding of the brain has changed. In 1988 scientists predicted that new techniques of scanning the brain would lead to exciting innovative treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Researchers were enthusiastic about the possibilities of seeing what went on in the brain. Many had high hopes that this would help us understand how and why mental health problems develop. But how much progress has been made? Professor Irene Tracey, Director of the Oxford Centre for functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and Professor Sophie Scott, from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, discuss with Claudia the major advances in this fast growing field. They also take a sceptical look and ask whether with highly ambitious big brain studies the science is still promising more than it delivers.

Thousands of people across the world who survive devastating earthquakes are living with the trauma of the disaster compounded by the experiences of aftershocks. Claudia Hammond talks to Metin Basoglu, a psychiatrist who has developed a method of mass psychological treatment for survivors of disasters like these, based on his research with over 10,000 people who lived through the Turkish earthquake of 1999. Could a single session of this kind of therapy really make a difference? How strong is the placebo effect? Can sugar pills make you feel better even when you know that's exactly what they are? Claudia talks to Ted Kaptchuk from Harvard University about his findings that for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, knowingly taking a placebo pill twice a day improved their symptoms. But is it the placebo or the ritual that surrounds taking it? Professor Irene Tracey, pain researcher at Oxford University, says the power of placebo is all about manipulating expectation of the person taking it. She believes this research still required deception. Her research on pain and the brain had led her to suggest that rather than using placebo, changing people's expectations of active drugs could be medically beneficial. Also - why to read someone else's emotion your own face needs to minutely mimic their facial expressions. When the brain gets feedback from the face it gets information on what that person is feeling. And why Botox, which paralyses those muscles reduces the ability to understand emotion.

Professor Irene Tracey talks about her research into pain through using brain imaging technology to see exactly how the brain is affected by pain while discussing its implications to how we understand pain in society.

Professor Irene Tracey, director of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, explains how MRI works and then talks about her research into people's perception of pain.

Professor Irene Tracey, director of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, explains how MRI works and then talks about her research into people’s perception of pain.

Picking apart the inner workings of our brains this week are Irene Tracey, who discusses the neurological origin of pain and how we can reduce pain, Philip Shaw reveals why having a bigger brain does not make you more intelligent, Kathleen Taylor talks about her new book on brainwashing, including whether brainwashing is a real phenomenon and how we can avoid it, and from brainwashing to the bathtub, Derek Thorne scrubs up on density in Kitchen Science.

Picking apart the inner workings of our brains this week are Irene Tracey, who discusses the neurological origin of pain and how we can reduce pain, Philip Shaw reveals why having a bigger brain does not make you more intelligent, Kathleen Taylor talks about her new book on brainwashing, including whether brainwashing is a real phenomenon and how we can avoid it, and from brainwashing to the bathtub, Derek Thorne scrubs up on density in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Picking apart the inner workings of our brains this week are Irene Tracey, who discusses the neurological origin of pain and how we can reduce pain, Philip Shaw reveals why having a bigger brain does not make you more intelligent, Kathleen Taylor talks about her new book on brainwashing, including whether brainwashing is a real phenomenon and how we can avoid it, and from brainwashing to the bathtub, Derek Thorne scrubs up on density in Kitchen Science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists