Sex and the City - The emerging role of human skin

Thursday 6 January 2011, 6.30-8.30pm
The Chemistry Centre

Is the role of skin merely to provide an aesthetically pleasing, decorative covering for the body? Modern research says otherwise and this lecture will explore the latest findings from the worlds of Dermatology, Evolutionary Psychology and Anthropology. 

What role does the skin play in the unconscious judgements we make of age, health and attractiveness of those we meet, every day of our lives? As Mankind faces its greatest and most complex environmental threat ever, how can a skin layer 1/50 of a millimetre thick continue to maintain human life on earth? 

What happens when this layer is compromised and what are the relative consequences in affluent, developed and poorer, developing countries? Accordingly, why is research into this organ and its diseases seemingly under-funded versus other needs? 

This lecture by Professor Paul Matts discussed these issues and argue for an integrated approach to skin care to meet the unique challenges of the 21st century and beyond.