Joely Hawke

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
• Investigating the physiological factors affecting development in early life

I spent 8 weeks shadowing the work of Prof. Helena Parkington, whose research focusses mainly on the early stages of life and what can go wrong. I worked under her supervision and contributed to two of her current studies:

1. I spent a lot of time analysing the myometrium (muscular layer of the uterus) and measuring its contractility under several conditions. We tested how long the tissue could survive outside the body (in vitro) and if its functionality remained normal. We also studied how stretching the muscle can influence the muscles’ sensitivity to oxytocin and how long it can survive outside the body. This is was part of Helena’s current investigations into the causes of failure to progress in labour. 

2. I also had the chance to work with renal arteries harvested from sheep, and investigated the link between hypertension and being born with only one kidney.  

Funding source: Newcastle University (undertaken at Monash University, Australia)

Supervisor: Professor Helena Parkington