HPC projects are key at Bangor University
Bangor University has a number of projects in mind to tie-in with the launch of the new HPC super computer project for Wales.
(See earlier posts starting at http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-40m-super-computer-project-for.html)
Here are a few case studies of the sort of work which will benefit from the HPC Wales project -
How the brain works
Bangor has a world renowned academic, Professor Fergus Lowe, who studies the way children think about healthy eating, eating fruit and vegetables and so on. He has a 20 year programme where he has proven empirically that the behaviour of children who are exposed to health eating techniques can be changed. Obviously, obesity is a great problem for the Western World. It can cause huge costs in terms of health in later life and the knock-on impact on our health service. Bangor has a team of experts who have been able to measure what happens in the brain. Bangor has the scanners, the people and huge data sets of material. HPC will allow us to process the vast quantities of brain data which have been accumulated on this subject.
Ceri the Clam
When scientists from Bangor University were selected to present their research at the upcoming prestigious Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition, they knew they needed to develop some eye-catching interactive displays to present their work to the public. They turned to Griffilms, a multi-award winning media provider specialising in animation for a global audience. This collaboration resulted in the creation of the virtual character "Ceri the Clam" who will lead visitors through the science of unlocking climate records from seashells. The fascinating thing about clam shells, some of which are 400 years old, is that they can be used rather like the rings on trees. They can help us understand climate change and what has happened over the last 500 years. Clam shells also give us the perspective from the sea rather than from the land. They help us understand what’s been happening in the sea on subject like climate change. Bangor’s scientists have built up massive data sets which will need a project like HPC to get the very best information we can from all that data.
Weblink: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/bangortv/cericlam.php.en
Major trauma injuries
The prestigious Wolfson Centre for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience is based at Bangor. The centre has been studying traumatic injuries and building up vast quantities of brain scan data. Studies of the data could have a major impact on how we treat pain in major trauma cases. The HPC computer structure will allow extensive analysis of this brain scan data.
Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease
Bangor’s scientists have been studying many different aspects on the brain in relation to Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease. Bangor has teams working on different brain images, working to understand pain and dementia and how to protect against further deteriorations in the brain. The university has vast amounts of data ready for analysis and HPC Wales will help advance this work.
(See earlier posts starting at http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-40m-super-computer-project-for.html)
Here are a few case studies of the sort of work which will benefit from the HPC Wales project -
How the brain works
Bangor has a world renowned academic, Professor Fergus Lowe, who studies the way children think about healthy eating, eating fruit and vegetables and so on. He has a 20 year programme where he has proven empirically that the behaviour of children who are exposed to health eating techniques can be changed. Obviously, obesity is a great problem for the Western World. It can cause huge costs in terms of health in later life and the knock-on impact on our health service. Bangor has a team of experts who have been able to measure what happens in the brain. Bangor has the scanners, the people and huge data sets of material. HPC will allow us to process the vast quantities of brain data which have been accumulated on this subject.
Ceri the Clam
When scientists from Bangor University were selected to present their research at the upcoming prestigious Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition, they knew they needed to develop some eye-catching interactive displays to present their work to the public. They turned to Griffilms, a multi-award winning media provider specialising in animation for a global audience. This collaboration resulted in the creation of the virtual character "Ceri the Clam" who will lead visitors through the science of unlocking climate records from seashells. The fascinating thing about clam shells, some of which are 400 years old, is that they can be used rather like the rings on trees. They can help us understand climate change and what has happened over the last 500 years. Clam shells also give us the perspective from the sea rather than from the land. They help us understand what’s been happening in the sea on subject like climate change. Bangor’s scientists have built up massive data sets which will need a project like HPC to get the very best information we can from all that data.
Weblink: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/bangortv/cericlam.php.en
Major trauma injuries
The prestigious Wolfson Centre for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience is based at Bangor. The centre has been studying traumatic injuries and building up vast quantities of brain scan data. Studies of the data could have a major impact on how we treat pain in major trauma cases. The HPC computer structure will allow extensive analysis of this brain scan data.
Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease
Bangor’s scientists have been studying many different aspects on the brain in relation to Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease. Bangor has teams working on different brain images, working to understand pain and dementia and how to protect against further deteriorations in the brain. The university has vast amounts of data ready for analysis and HPC Wales will help advance this work.
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