Four Leeds scientists shortlisted in a national image competition run by the British Heart Foundation

Four academics from the University of Leeds were shortlisted in the annual 'Reflections of Research' image competition organised by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The annual contest, which sees science and art collide, challenges BHF-funded scientists to showcase their heart and circulatory disease research through captivating images.

PhD student Lauren Eades' 'All fat and bones' submission shows a network of red blood vessels and green fat within the bone marrow of a mouse with a vascular disease.

She said: “I am very excited about my image being shortlisted, it is a great opportunity to showcase my research, thanks to the kind support of the BHF.

“The bone marrow needs a good blood supply to remain healthy and produce new blood cells. Our group is investigating how peripheral vascular disease causes hidden changes in the bone marrow of the legs and how this affects the ability of the bone marrow to make healthy blood cells. We hope that our research could reveal new targets for treating this disease in the future.”

‘The way to the heart is through the stomach’ was entered by Dr Michael Drozd, a BHF Clinical Research Training Fellow and shows a network of blood vessels in fat, which make a heart shaped impression within the network.

He said: “I am delighted to have been shortlisted for the Reflections of Research competition, it is a fantastic way to share some of the incredible research funded by the BHF."

The third shortlisted image, called 'A renal reflection', and was submitted by Dr Natalie North, a BHF funded post-doctoral research fellow, and Joanna Koch-Paszkowski, computed tomography (CT) lead.

It shows the blood vessels of a kidney, captured using a CT scanner.

Dr North said: “It’s fantastic to have our image shortlisted in the reflections of research competition. Every year the images submitted really bring the research that the BHF supports to life.

“Many people don’t know how intertwined the work of the heart and kidneys are. Our lab is researching ways to improve blood supply to different organs, including the kidneys, to prevent heart and circulatory diseases developing.”

‘Stuck on you’ was submitted by PhD student Beth Webb, with the flower-like red shapes being platelets, the body's smallest blood cells which stick together when they recognise a damaged blood vessel, to form a blood clot and help stop bleeding.

Beth Webb said: “My image shows activated platelets at different stages of spreading. Capturing images like this can allow us to identify changes in over-active platelets compared with healthy ones. This will help identify potential drug targets to reduce platelet activity, which could in turn help to prevent dangerous blood clots.”

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