Life in Space – How do Bones feel Gravity?

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Ivor Geoghegan, Biomedical Engineering PhD candidate (Photo credit, Enda O’Connell)

In the first of our series of Research Videos for 2016, Ivor Geoghegan, a Biomedical Engineering PhD candidate in the CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices, under the supervision of Dr Laoise McNamara in the Mechanobiology and Medical Device Research Group in the Discipline of Biomedical Engineering, NUI Galway, speaks about the effect of microgravity on the bone density of astronauts, and how research in this area may lead to treatments for osteoporosis.

Video by Claire Riordan, Scientific Engagement Associate at CÚRAM .

The Science of Exercise, by Dr. Nicole Burns

In the fifth of our weekly series of articles by NUI Galway researchers, Dr. Nicole Burns, Lecturer in the Discipline of Physiology, in the School of Medicine, writes about ‘The Science of Exercise’.

Ever notice how, when you walk up three flights of stairs your legs begin to ache and you are a little out of breath? If you put your hand to your chest you may also notice that your heart is beating a little faster than normal.

Were you going “too fast”?

If you slowed down would you still feel your heart beating faster than it was at rest?

If you sped up, would you breathe harder?

A subject seated on a cycle ergometer. A heart rate monitor is worn across the chest under the clothing to measure pulse at rest and during exercise. The facemask is connected to a computer which analyses the expired for percentage oxygen, carbon dioxide and total volume. A blood pressure cuff is worn on the right arm to measure changing blood pressure during exercise. (Photo credit Dr. Nicole Burns)
A subject seated on a cycle ergometer. A heart rate monitor is worn across the chest under the clothing to measure pulse at rest and during exercise. The facemask is connected to a computer which analyses the expired air for percentage oxygen, carbon dioxide and total volume. A blood pressure cuff is worn on the right arm to measure changing blood pressure during exercise. (Photo credit Dr. Nicole Burns)

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