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The 2024 CJL Health Prize was shared between Eve Bessent and Nia Owen

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 My name is Eve Bessent, I am currently coming to the end of year 12 studying A-level Chemistry, Biology and Psychology. I made my A-level choices based on my ambition to become a Dentist. I am often asked why I have chosen this path, particularly at a time when the sector is experiencing so much bad publicity around DIY dentistry, access to appointments and long NHS wating times, but these challenges only serve to feed my ambition and desire to help people and become part of the next generation of dentists to support reform and bring dentists back into people’s communities. There is a sense of satisfaction to be had from being part of the solution to such a critical problem. Our mouths and teeth are fascinating, it’s a gateway into the body and can be used for a multitude of functional actions but they are also critical for our social health and well-being, they can display our emotions and give us confidence as well as provide insight into the health of the rest of our body allowing more serious diseases to be caught and treated early. My interest in dentistry has been fuelled through my work experience with local dentists, observing the range of treatments and surgeries they provide and how they resolve complex problems through understanding, care and compassion combined with medical knowledge, manual skill and patience. I’m also a member of the Dental Mentor Programme, the UK’s largest dental community where I can speak to dentists, dental students and other students like me excited to embark on their dental pathway. While appreciating the content may be shocking or surprising, hopefully, my essay will inspire readers to improve their oral health and take more preventative steps in their dental routines.

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My name is Nia and I have just finished year 13 at Gowerton Comprehensive School.

 

My sister has severe cerebral palsy, and growing up I had many questions about her condition: why couldn’t she walk? Why couldn’t she talk? These questions founded a more profound interest in the field of neuroscience in recent years. 

 

Having just finished my A levelsat Gowerton Comprehensive School, next year I wish to study neuroscience at King’s College London to further such an interest in the field.

 

What fascinates me so much about the brain is its ability to change and adapt throughout its lifetime. The brain’s ability to rewire itself due to neuroplasticity offers the potential of many different treatments for conditions like Traumatic Brain Injuries, Neurodegenerative disease and psychiatric conditions. Such an interest in neuroplasticity is what motivated the topic of my essay for the CJ Littlejohns health prize: ‘Applications of the Understanding of Neuroplasticity in the Advancement of the Treatment of Neurological Conditions.’ Researching this topic furthered my interest in the potential of neuroplasticity to offer new advancements across the field of neuroscience.

 

We may never understand how all parts of the brain work and are linked, but I am excited by the prospect of working in the field of neuroscience and being even just a tiny part of new discoveries.

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