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Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment hosts showcase event to highlight research expertise

Jul 11, 2022

2 min

Jackie BlissettDr Claire Farrow



  • Research showcase held to highlight research underway at the Aston Institute for Health and Neurodevelopment
  • Researchers met with local clinicians and funding bodies to talk through their latest developments
  • The event will take place each year with a plan to invite guests back to update them on how the institute has progressed.


Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) held its inaugural research showcase event on Thursday 7 July at Conference Aston.


The yearly event is an opportunity to highlight its research projects and meet with the Institute’s external partners, funding bodies and professional colleagues.


Guests were invited to join IHN’s research and teaching team to learn more about its vision and hear about individual research projects currently underway.


The centre’s co-directors Professor Jackie Blissett and Professor Gavin Woodhall talked about IHN’s vision which includes:


• unlocking the potential of research to support child health and development


• answering the questions that matter to children and young people, their families and the services that support them


• developing the next generation of research leaders in child health and development.


Researchers working on projects including treatments for drug resistant epilepsy, childhood eating behaviour, improving support for people with rare neurogenetic conditions and diagnosis of paediatric brain cancer using magnetic resonance imaging and artificial intelligence met with external partners and clinicians to talk them through their latest projects and developments.


The event was also attended by Aston University Interim Vice-Chancellor, Saskia Loer Hansen, Executive Dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, Anthony Hilton and other members of the University executive team, together with academic researchers in the University’s College of Health and Life Sciences.


There was also an opportunity to meet all the Institute’s researchers, ask questions and network.


Professor Jackie Blissett, co-director of Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, said: “After a successful launch of our new £2.8 million MRI scanner earlier this year, it is great that we were able to come together again and showcase all of our research that goes on in IHN, particularly to our external partners, including local clinicians and funding bodies.

“This is our inaugural research showcase and we plan to invite guests back to Aston University each year to update them on how the institute has progressed with its research.

“As a research institute that puts children and young people at the heart of what we do, it is important to be in touch with all of our partners from a cross section of the community to update them on all of our latest developments and find ways to collaborate further – particularly in clinical settings.”


For more information about research being undertaken at AIHN please go to our website. If you are interested in the courses we have available in this area please go here.

Connect with:
Jackie Blissett

Jackie Blissett

Professor of Psychology

Professor Blissett has a interest in children’s fussy eating including poor fruit and vegetable acceptance, emotional eating, and obesity.

Feeding and Eating BehaviourPsychologyChildhood Eating BehaviourFussy EatingDevelopmental Psychology
Dr Claire Farrow

Dr Claire Farrow

Professor and Director of Applied Health Research Group

Dr Farrow's interests concern the factors influencing eating behaviour and weight gain or loss, particularly in children.

Observational ResearchChild ObesityChild Eating BehaviourFussy EatingDigital Health Interventions

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