The OPM Collaboration – Prof Gareth Barnes
Prof Gareth Barnes, Principal Investigator; Cassandra Hugill, Public Engagement Manager; Dr Tim Tierney, Research Fellow
Wellcome Enrichment – Public Engagement, £55,032
The Centre’s MEG team have been awarded £55,032 through the Wellcome Enrichment Fund to co-produce three elements of a new brain scanning helmet being developed at the Centre.
The project’s vision is for scientists and clinicians to work with young patients with epilepsy, and their parents and play specialists, to co-produce child-friendly appealing and engaging brain scanning technology and procedures for the new OPM scanners. This will be achieved through collaboration with our partners at Young Epilepsy and St. Piers School, a residential facility for young children with neurological conditions and learning disabilities. Our aims and activities can be broken down into three parts:
- Co-production of a selection of helmet designs
We will work closely with the play specialists and experts at Young Epilepsy to develop a series of workshops that enable researchers, the designer, the artist and the children to come together and co-produce a series of helmets that are both functional and appealing.
- Development of a safe and appealing space with engaging activities for the testing process
The interior of the shielded room is currently white and featureless. A series of creative workshops and focus groups will provide the basis for the design of a safe and appealing space that supports children during clinical testing.
- Developing interactive activities.
Many of the children and young adults at Young Epilepsy find concentrating and performing tasks challenging. Working closely with the play specialists and children, we aim to develop a series of interactive games and activities that are responsive and sensitive to their abilities, interests and ambitions. An important approach to this phase of the research will be to spend time with the children, families and specialists in their daily environments within the centre. This will give an invaluable inside perspective into existing approaches in daily, practical clinical use.
To learn more about this project please see OPM Collaboration
Awarded June 2019