IIT welcomes students for annual schools open day

More than 100 A-level students attended the annual open day for schools and heard how Nobel prizewinning scientist Peter Medawar made his ground-breaking discoveries about the immune system after a plane crashed near his house during the Battle of Britain, changing the course of his research. They also heard about how studies of twin cows led to major insights into organ rejection after transplantation and why older people are more prone to infection.

Year 12 students from Graveney School in Tooting, who have been doing a project with Professor Emma Morris, gave a presentation on their investigation into CTLA4 deficiency, a rare disorder that severely impairs the normal regulation of the immune system leading to various disorders including intestinal disease, respiratory infections, autoimmune problems and enlarged lymph nodes, liver, and spleen.

Rhian Fisher, a biology teacher at Graveney, said how grateful she and her students were to have the chance to be involved in real research. “As well as the benefits for students, this project has enabled us to raise the profile of scientific research at Graveney and keep our teaching up to date.“

Images from the open day