My Birthday!!

So, today it was my birthday. The first one I've ever been away from home. Not that home really matters, I'm sure nobody would really remember anyway. Today I got a birthday cake...my UKSRI team got me it!(although I think Adam had something to do with it as he's the only one who would know) I think it's the first cake that someone has bought me in about 5 years. I was so excited!  Here's a wee photo of my lovely cake, with a whole 24 candles...oh dear so old!!

Bye for now,

Jess

My current surroundings in Lahijan

Okay...so on my quest about the green slime I really think it is just due to the fact that there is so must greenery and forests etc around. I'm not an forestation researcher by any means but I love looking into unusual and unexpected things.

Speaking of which...a positive from this trip is that I foun out that Lahijan is greatly know for it's tea...and I got to try the original stuff here...another new experience in life.

Bye for now,

Jess

Weekend in Lahijan

So a few of us have taken a weekend out to Lahijan, Me, Majella, Adam and Philip. I'm not really into 'holidays' but as this is nearer to the coast I thought it might help me in discovering more about this slime, whether it is geneally everywhere or more confinded to individual towns or villages. The other's don't know that I have another reason for going...but sure we'll just keep that between ourselves!

I'll post a few snaps of this place if there is anything worth looking at.

Bye for now,

Jess

Masouleh

We've been travelling out to alot of different villages and towns since coming to Rusht but I think Masouleh has been the most interesting place for me. I have been studying the climate here along with the forestation. It's a very unusual place as the town itself is a differnt levels and most of it seems to be in the mountains. It is located at the Caspian sea and has beautiful features such as Masouheh-Rood-Khan river that passes through the village and as well as many other springs.

My mentor told me though that due to globalisation in other area's of iran the water is becoming increasingly dirty with a green slime build up which they took me to today. The local's are furious about this as they are trying to keep their town of Masouleh traditional. I took a sample of this and am going to work on it with the little resources that I can find to see if there is anything intersting comes out of this finding.

Bye for now,

Jess

New Month...New adventure

So...today is the 1st of November!Time is flying past. We're moving on from Terhan today to Northwestern Iran, a place called Rasht. There's no real point to this post apart from making sure that I write down each place I travel to. My memory fails me all the time! This area is going to be a change from where we have last visited as it is near the Caspian sea coast.

Anyway...once I find a bit more out about the area I'll update.

Bye for now,

Jess

Our Tour at Imam Khomeini Hospital

Wow! This hospital is brilliant. The head of researcher Dr Aref Shokouhi of neurology,  gave us and in-depth tour around the whole hospital and in particular wanted to show off his department...this was brilliant for me of course! Studying at UKSRI is brialliant and the research that is happening is really good but this place...I have never seen anything like it...they have top of the range technology and the money that is being poured into research is unbelievable.

These are a few of the notes I scribbled down while Dr Shokouhi was talking....

ICNR is a 6 floor building hosting the neurological and neurosurgical patients. The first floor hosts Genetics and all the Clinics; Level 2 is host to specialist investigations such as EEG, NCS and EMG. Floor 5 hosts the research offices. The Neurology Ward has 22 beds separated into male and female quarters to which

family members have 24 hr access to. Subspecialty clinics are held 3 days a week from 9:30am and include: Headache, Epilepsy, Motor Control Disorders and Memory Clinics. Up to six simultaneous consultations are held in one large room with a resident Professor of Neurology.

I'm goin to write up the rest of my note's and save them on my computer...I'll update you with those at another time but for now it's bed time.

Bye for now,

Jess

Research update

So we've been in Terhan for about 3weeks now! This city is really interesting and diverse and I have been able to gather so much research to help me with my project. Yesterday we had a seminar at the local hospital. They have some really interesting technology and the people are really involved in trying to further the research in not only Terhan but Iran in general itself. Next week Adam and I have arranged a meeting with one of the head researchers to give us a tour around different departments of the hospital (hopefully I might get some insight on some of their latest projects!)

I'll next post after we've been to the hospital and hopefully I'll be able to tell you more!

Bye for now,

Jess