A little light relief

Thursday 10 March 2011, 6.30-8.30pm
The Chemistry Centre

Light, particularly sunlight, is believed to be good for our health with a mystical power attributed to it by many civilisations. In this lecture, the President of the RSC, Prof David Phillips, used his expertise in photo-medicine to demonstrate that there is both truth and fallacy in such beliefs. Renowned for his entertaining lectures, Prof Phillips discussed the effects of light on the skin, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic uses of light (eg photo therapies to treat skin complaints and neonatal jaundice, and interactive viral, bacterial and fungal infections).

The talk also included revolutionary applications of lasers in medicine, including surgical uses of infrared and ultraviolet lasers, and the use of lasers plus chemical sensitisers to destroy tumours selectively (photodynamic therapy).