Radical brain treatment receives the inaugural Impact Award
Professor Marianne Thoresen has won the 2011 Vice-Chancellor's Impact Award - in its inaugural year - for pioneering a radical new way to protect the brains of new-born babies, allowing thousands of babies, worldwide, to survive and grow up free from major mental and physical disabilities.
Around one in a thousand babies suffer from oxygen deprivation during birth. The highly vulnerable neonate brain, if deprived of oxygen, is likely to suffer from massive and irreversible damage leading to death or disability requiring lifelong care.
In a radically counterintuitive approach, consultant neonatologist Marianne Thoresen decided to try protecting the brain by deliberately keeping such babies cold after birth, going against the medical norm of keeping a newborn baby warm. Cool conditions had been seen to be neuroprotective in cases where, for example, people had been rescued from cold water, but it was by no means a standard treatment approach.
Initially improvising with ice-filled rubber gloves, Marianne established that cooling significantly reduced brain damage.
She then went on to investigate the underlying neuroscience in order to further develop and refine the technique, which is now used in countries around the world, saving thousands of babies each year.
In recognition of her work the University of Bristol has singled out Marianne to receive the first ever Vice-Chancellor's Impact Award.
As an example of how basic research, combined with clinical knowledge, determination, and years of hard work can have massive impact in people’s lives, few could argue that she fully deserves heartfelt congratulations for all the achievements this award represents.
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