Brain Day 2026
Brain Day 2026
On Monday 29th June, all SFC1 Biology and Psychology students were treated to Brain Day with Dr Guy Sutton of Medical Biology Interactive. Read all the highlights from the day from three of our students below.
The anatomy of the brain
In the first two sessions, Dr Guy Sutton introduced us to university-style lectures. We explored the anatomy of the brain, the conscience and the brain during death. The anatomy of the brain is incredibly complex; not only is it split into two hemispheres (right and left), but it also contains individual components that come together to form the organ that facilitates basic functional movement, behaviour and emotions.
We spoke a lot about the labelling of the components of the brain, for example, the prefrontal cortex can be broken down into more specific parts, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Dorsal meaning towards the back, lateral meaning directed to the side; these anatomical labelling enable neuroscientists and doctors to study the brain effectively.
Towards the second part of the lecture, Dr Sutton spoke about what happens to our brains when we sleep and during death. In both instances, gamma, delta and other waves are being emitted, which indicate brain activation in the minutes after medical death (when the heart stops). During those instances, patients who were revived from death describe calming sensations and bliss. Thus, these new pieces of research and topics enable us to question what consciousness is and if it exists after death.
To me, this raises philosophical questions, such as whether a person is conscious in a coma, and whether we can constitute death even if they are declared “brain dead”.
Overall, I found these sessions incredibly insightful and thought-provoking. Though neuroscience may be regarded as a science, it provokes questions on ethicality, philosophy and AI/ tech.
Lindsay, SFC1
Brain Dissections
The focal point of the day was periods 3 and 4, the sheep brain dissections. We all gathered around the table and watched Dr Sutton as he started by removing the tough outer layer of the brain, the dura mater.
Before he went any further, he passed this layer around so we could feel it. It was so thin, and even more shocking, it returned to its initial shape once we had all pulled it and touched it.
From there, Dr Sutton took the scalpel and separated the brain down the middle into its two hemispheres. This gave us a perfect cross-section view of the inside. He then carefully removed the hippocampus, explaining its crucial role in memory and showing it around.
Finally, he pointed out two small but incredibly important structures, the pituitary gland and the pineal gland, which control the body's hormones and sleep cycles. It was amazing to see this in real life!
Hajra, SFC1
'Shattered Mind' Session
In the penultimate session, we delved into the concept of the 'shattered mind' where Dr Sutton introduced us to a variety of psychiatric disorders, the guidelines that are used to diagnose these, such as the ICD and DSM-5 and the history of psychiatric care in the West compared with the East.
Throughout the lecture, we were faced with challenging questions about the overdiagnosis of disorders such as ADHD or whether human behaviour is being over-pathologised.
In the latter section of the session, we focused on Schizophrenia and its complexities. We were taught about certain features of the illness, the different models that have been proposed to explain schizophrenia, and how both genetics and the environment one is in affect its presentation.
The final session discussed the brain in terms of trauma and crime, where we found out about how horrific events such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks severely altered the brains of the emergency workers. We also learnt about how mental illness can be used in the courts to influence sentencing, and while it was shocking, we began to question the extent to which mental illness can be used to justify or explain the actions of some criminals.
Finally, we looked into the future where Dr Sutton proposed that in our lifetime, neurotechnology may be used to monitor and control criminals, and the ethical issues it brings.
Overall, these lectures were very informative, introducing us to the past, present and future of psychiatry and neuroscience, which left us with many questions and more topics to read about.
Mayah, SFC1
