Update - 22 January 2022
Our Innovation Centres remain operational and accessible, and provide a safe environment for our staff and customers. We continue to assess the risk of COVID-19 alongside the latest guidance from government. In the meantime our Innovation Centre remains COVID-19 Secure and fully open for business. Our detailed risk assessment can be found here.
RAL Talking Science: Misidentified Mummy Unlocks Medical Mysteries
November 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Join us for a fascinating talk as part of Talking Science, a series of free talks for the public – breaking down the barriers to science.
Date: Friday 28 November
Time: 19:00 – 20:00
Venue: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Fermi Avenue
Cost: Free
This event is suitable for ages 12+ although this is a guideline. One ticket is required for each person attending the event.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a surprising opportunity took Dr Elisabete Pires (University of Oxford) from cancer research into the realm of ancient archaeology. In this talk, she will share how a tiny Egyptian mummy, originally misidentified as a bird, revealed extraordinary medical and historical secrets through modern scientific analysis.
By employing cutting-edge techniques in proteomics, metabolomics, and imaging, we uncovered evidence of ancient embalming practices, maternal-foetal health, possible congenital malaria, and clues that may aid our understanding of disease evolution — including antibiotic resistance and congenital disorders — spanning thousands of years. This journey bridges ancient and modern medicine in unexpected ways.
Tickets for in-person events close the night before the event. If you would like to book an in-person last-minute place, please email the team.
About the speaker:
Elisabete Pires was born in France and earned her Master’s degree in Portugal before beginning a research career spanning over 20 years in cancer research. She has worked at the University of Oxford since 2015 and contributed to the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine project.
During the pandemic, a chance opportunity to analyse archaeological materials opened a new chapter in her research, combining molecular biology and ancient history. Her first breakthrough study on a 3,100-year-old golden funerary mask received international press coverage and an award at an international conference.
Currently, she is in the final stages of defending her PhD, continuing to explore the fascinating intersection of ancient biomolecules, disease evolution, and modern medicine.
