BRAIN FOOD
Dear OU Study Community,
Hello and welcome to the OU Life Sciences Platform Group. This is a moderated Open University online community that evolved from the Open University Life Sciences Society. That Society folded through lack of a committee.
The October 2011 OU examinations ended for all of you on the 19th or before, if you are current students. That is, except if you had to defer your examination or ECA/EMA submission. Or alternatively, you are studying for a research degree. Good luck to all those who had assessments this year, whether at the OU or some other institution. It is understandable if you need to give your brain tissue a rest. If and when you are not in that position, here is some serious BRAIN FOOD:
The ‘brain food’ is the Open University’s peer-reviewed academic life, health and chemical sciences research papers from 1991-2011. These can be accessed at: http://oro.open.ac.uk/view/faculty_dept/scie-lhcs.html. For those wishing to become research students at the OU, here are the fields to choose from:
- Ageing and neurodegeneration
- Autism
- Biodiversity and environmental science
- Biological and health-related physics
- Bio-organic and medicinal chemistry
- Cell biology and immunology of the nervous system
- Cellular and molecular neurobiology
- Cognitive Science
- Molecular genetics
- Neuroscience
For what it is worth, I am capable of studying for a research degree. I came within three marks of being awarded a 2:1 and have an MScSciences(Open) with merit. Because of the cognitive, motor and other medical problems, associated with my two traumatic brain injuries, I cannot at the moment study at this level. In the current funding climate, I will in all probability have to fund my research studentship myself.
To those in the science faculty, I am no longer among you. I had to go slowly with my BSc(Open) and BSc(Hons)LifeSciences(Open), and the Faculty moves the goalposts at least three times when I studied for these qualifications. Because of this, I am in Education and Languages. I am learning to 说汉语，e parlo italiano.
Best wishes to all,
Peter Canning.