CATALYST Autumn 2025
Contents
page
Greenpower STEM Team – Page 3
The Best way to clean up an oil spill – Page 4
An investigation into the mechanical effects of stress on the piezoelectric output of quartz – Page 4
Uses of MRI – Page 5
The weird and wonderful nature of Hydra – Page 7
AI and Gender: Analysing ChatGPT’s Gender Assignments from Personality Traits – Page 10
How does GPS imaging work? – Page 13
Evolution or oppression: analysing the purpose of post WW2 beauty standards – Page 17
The role of psychological factors in the misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia – Page 19
STEM FAIR POSTERS
Use of MRI
Polina Popovtseva
Aftersufferingfourstressfractures,injuriesthatcouldhaveendedmy gymnasticscareerwithouttimelyMRIscans,Isawfirsthandhowinaccessible thistechnologyremainsinsportsmedicine.Over1,000,000sportsinjuries occurannuallyintheUK,andathleteswaitbetween6to18weeksforanMRI, delayingaccuratediagnosisandtreatment.Thislackoftimelyaccesscan exacerbateinjuries,potentiallyleadingtocareer-endingconsequences. AddressingtheengineeringchallengestomakeMRItechnologymore accessibleiscrucialforeffectivetreatmentinsportsmedicine.
MRIisanon-invasiveimagingtechniquethatusesnuclearmagnetic resonancetoproducehigh-resolution,multi-planarimages.Itutilisesthe alignmentandrealignmentofhydrogennucleiinamagneticfield,capturing energyreleasedthroughradiofrequencydetectionandFourier Transformation.
Precisionisvitalinsportsmedicine,asaccurateinjurymappinginforms clinicaldecisionsthatmake-or-breakathletes’careers.Comparedtoother imagingtechniques,MRIvisualisesthewidestrangeofmusculoskeletal tissueswithexceptionaldetail.However,persistentaccessibilitychallenges preventthispowerfulengineeringinnovationfromreachingitsfullpotential insportsmedicine.
Despitegrowingaccesstoself-diagnostictoolssuchasCOVID-19or urinetests,MRItechnologyremainsconstrainedbyitscomplexrequirements.
Standardsystemsrequireashieldedimagingsuitewithfringemagneticfields, vibrationisolation,andcryogenicinfrastructuretosupportsuperconducting magnets.Thesesystemsoperateat0.5to1.5Teslaandneeduninterrupted powerandprecisioncooling.Suchdemands,combinedwiththeneedfor trainedradiologistsandstrictsafetyprotocols,limitthefeasibilityofusing MRIinhomesorathleticfacilities.Recentinnovationsinultra-low-field portableMRItechnologies,suchasthe0.064THyperfineSwoop,suggestthat MRIcouldbecomesignificantlymoreaccessible.Thesesystemsoperatewith reducedenergyrequirementsandeliminatetheneedfortraditional infrastructurelikeradiofrequency-shieldedrooms.Theirrelativelycompact sizeallowsforuseinnon-clinicalsettings,suchassportsfacilities,supporting rapidon-sitediagnosis.WhenpairedwithcontrastagentssuchasSPIONs,
whichenhancesignalstrengthinlowmagneticfields,portableMRIoffersa promisingsolutionforearlyinjurydetection.
Despitethesebenefits,ultra-low-fieldMRIsystemsfacesignificantlimitations.
Lowermagneticfieldstrengthreducesresolutionandsignal-to-noiseratio, leadingtomissedorinaccuratediagnoses.Thisiscounterproductiveas athleteswouldstillrequirefollow-upscanswithhigh-fieldMRI.Contrast enhancementmethods,forexamplegadolinium-basedagents,createfurther challenges;achievingeffectivedosingatlowfieldswouldexceedlegalsafety limits,makingunsupervisedorself-directedusedangerous.Additionally, thesesystemsremaincostlyandthereforeout-of-reachforathletesalready facingsubstantialfinancialdifficulties.ImprovingMRIaccessibilityisessential topreventingavoidable,career-endingsportsinjuries.Sinceitsinventionin 1974,MRItechnologyhasadvancedfromstaticfive-hour-longscansto portablelow-fielddeviceslikethe0.064THyperfineSwoop.Withcontinued engineeringinnovationsinminiaturisation,powerefficiency,andcost reduction,MRIcouldhopefullyonedaybeintegratedintosportsfacilitiesor evenhomes.Asanaspiringengineer,Iaimtocontributetothisshiftthrough researchintofieldsincludingmagnetdesignandsignalenhancement techniques,thatcouldbringaffordableMRIclosertoathletesworldwide.
How does GPS imaging work?
Madeline Clarke
Evolution or oppression: analysing the purpose of post WW2 beauty standards
Maya Leschziner
A beauty standard determines what is ‘beautiful’: from body proportions to facial structures. Digitalisation and global media have allowed for these beauty standards to permeate almost every aspect of human life, from everyday human interaction to the commercialisation. While the purpose of these beauty standards have been thought by some to be useful for natural selection, I will be highlighting how these modern beauty standards arguably oppose evolution, and in fact, serve a wider purpose. Reinforcing structural patriarchy and consumerism through a manufactured sexual dimorphism, beauty standards have no biological use in modern day life.
Many have beauty standards in a scientific way, arguing that these ‘standards’ are set as a way of assessing health, fertility and youth in potential partners. However, through taking a look at the differences in sexual dimorphism between humans and gorillas, we are able to understand that physical influences may be much less important to human reproduction than previously anticipated. Gorillas exhibit significant sexual dimorphism, with males being substantially larger than females. This size disparity is specifically tied to sexual selection as a result of the intense competition between males for mates. While humans display some sexual dimorphism, it is much less significant than seen in gorillas, indicating that physical traits are less crucial for reproductive success. However, today, we see an artificially constructed sexual dimorphism: hyper muscular males on one end of a scale, and thin, eurocentrically-featured women on the other. Here, we see an exaggeration of the symbolic male dominance hierarchy in gorillas, where men are praised for power and strength, maintaining hierarchies without the biological necessity.
Whilst of course, men, too are subjected to these unattainable and harmful ideals too, these standards serve a society that benefits them. Across societies, the media is much more forgiving towards men, catering for a range of body proportions. For women, however, their appearances are often directly tied to their worth and used as a weapon for oppression. The correlation between the rise of greatly unattainable beauty standards and post-war women’s liberation suggests that although the patriarchy could not be reinforced legally, it was now having to be reinstated in other ways to maintain control over women and their bodies. In the workplace, women were often fired for passing their aesthetic ‘expiry date’, and many women reported a double standard of having to both succeed professionally and aesthetically in comparison to men, a responsibility that impedes on their ability to flourish in the workplace in comparison to men.
Whilst, of course, traits such as clear skin suggest health and an absence of pests, and waist hip ratios can signal childbearing qualities, the exaggerated and arguably dangerous beauty standards that we see today are ideals that have been socially constructed rather than biologically driven. Full body proportions in hunter gatherer societies would have
signalled an ability to survive in situations of scarce food and an ability to bear children. In contrast, nowadays, we see a feminine thinness that is glorified and perpetuated in the media. Women cannot function, let alone thrive, whilst following the ridiculous advice of the diet industry, an industry that profits off of female insecurities rather than helping them to find a mate.
Natural selection occurs over periods of thousands and millions of years. The beauty standards that have evolved nowadays oscillate far too fast to even have a tiny impact on natural selection. Between 2017 to 2021, the number of BBL reversals significantly increased, showing a 180-change in the bodily beauty standard in only a few years. Is it too much of a stretch to suggest that these ever-changing ideals are out of reach for a reason? If women reached a point where they were satisfied with how they looked, they would not be fulfilling the billion dollar diet and cosmetic industry, and would have far too much time on their hands which could be dedicated to working, studying or self improvement. These harsh ideals have been manufactured by men to deliberately tire women out.
Cosmetics and cosmetic surgery, an industry that thrives off of these ideals, directly opposes natural selection. 92% of patients undergoing cosmetic surgery are women, subjecting themselves to harsh and dangerous complications in the pursuit of beauty. However, how can these standards have an evolutionary purpose, if the traits that are being selected for are not written in a human’s DNA? The resulting offspring will not have these physical traits, contradicting the theory of evolution.
In conclusion, some traits may have an evolutionary advantage for their signalling of health, youth and fertility. However, we must take a wider look at the industries profiting off of these modern and manufactured standards, critically thinking with how these ideals fit into a wider society that aims to oppress and burden women, rather than to influence reproductive success.
The role of psychological factors in the misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia
Kiara Perera
A common misconception surrounding FM is that it is “all in the mind”, and some reasoning that may support this is its comorbidity with psychiatric conditions. This same reasoning is what gives rise to psychosomatic attributions of FM, meaning psychological factors including stress, depression and anxiety contribute to the development and maintenance of physical symptoms (Lowes, 2017). Anxiety, depression and FM all share overlapping neural pathways, and are triggered particularly by CNS dysregulation. This neurobiological overlap may in turn, explain why antidepressants, namely amitriptyline and duloxetine, are often most prescribed and efficient in the treatment of FM, as they increase serotonin and norepinephrine levels (Häuser, et al., 2014).
Alternatively, such associations can lead to misinterpretations. For instance, Pina, who after 8 years of treatment with worsening symptoms, was prescribed clonazepam in 2023 to help alleviate FM pain. Typically prescribed for epileptic or anxiety disorders, clonazepam increases the levels of gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain – a calming chemical that is proven to relieve anxiety, reduce muscle tensionand preventseizures(NHS, 2023).Pina and many other individuals with FM thatreceive such prescriptions, do not have depression, anxiety or any other psychiatric condition diagnosis. However, the prescription proved beneficial in managing FM pain. Consequently, clinicians may mistakenly assume that the symptoms associated with these psychiatric conditions are the cause of pain and CNS dysregulation, rather than recognising FM itself may be a contributor. Pina described how “the clonazepam relieved pain in some moments” but also recalled feeling confused: “when taking my firstprescription home,asIwas notmadeawareI had beenprescribedepilepticmedicineuntil Igoogled the name myself” (Lodgenis, 2025) Not only does this demonstrate the blurred clinical line between psychiatric and neurological treatment in FM, but also the lack of transparency that some patients face from clinicians. It also presents how treatment decisions can be made less collaboratively, thus keeping the patient in the dark, and only widening the communication and trust between health professional and patient. The patient experiences reduced pain, and their temporary relief from such treatment can validate any psychiatric framing of their symptoms. Fuelling this misconception is the intermittent relief that the anti-depressants provide, and this invalidation only propels the cycle of misdiagnosis and invalidation further.
Another factor contributing to the association of FM with psychosomatic explanations can be the placebo effect. This refers to a positive health outcome from the patient’s belief in the treatment, even when said treatment is inactive. Patients with FM often respond strongly to placebo, possibly due to the role of central sensitisation in FM, and its various neurochemical imbalances (Häuser, et al., 2012) Since serotonin and dopamine dysfunction modulate placebo effects, a temporary neurochemical spike caused by the placebo effect occurs, that can mask FM symptoms. This is where the misinterpretation can occur, as clinicians can evaluate this positive response to placebo as evidence that the condition is “in the mind” or “not real”. Therefore, potential dismissal of symptoms can be perpetuated, despite clear evidence that the placebo effect is neurologically real and measurable in brain imaging (Tracey & Mantyh, 2007). This illustrates how such psychosomatic assumptions may still remain persistently embedded in clinical reasoning, which only reinforces another pathway through which FM is misunderstood and misdiagnosed.
Qualitative research further amplifies the challenges FM patients face with psychosomatic attributions. In one study exploring the “work” carried out by Nordic female patients with chronic, but socially invisible pain “in order to be believed, understood and taken seriously” by consultants, female accounts reflected efforts to maintain a subtle balance, between not appearing too strong or too weak, too smart or too disarranged, or too healthy or sick (Werner & Malterud, 2003). This is an approach that helped themfeelmore credible to a doctor, especially when undiagnosed.Women, typically awaiting diagnosis unexplained medical disorders, such as FM, felt forced to reduce any emotion and emphasise physical symptoms to gain such legitimacy. Many possessed the underlying belief that clinicians found patients ‘difficult’ or ‘demanding’ if they pushed for answers. Every doctor they visited would examine them for mental rather than somatic factors, as the struggle for them to be perceived as somatically ill persisted, and patients with FM felt they were being “judged” to be suffering from an “imaginary illness”. This demonstrates unfortunately, the strategies female FM patients adopted to avoid enacted stigma and to challenge the view of their symptoms as being “not real”.
On the other hand it should also be considered how within an already invisible illness, affected males do not fit the typical social script of a FM patient, and therefore may be invisible within the invisible –thus possibly leading to underdiagnosis in men.
Historically, women have experienced differences in treatment, in comparison to men, especially concerning pain treatment (Hoffmann & Tarzian, 2001). The abundant evidence drawn from various studies in the article, highlights that women reporting pain are far more likely to be told their symptoms are“exaggerated”,sometimesduetostress,or “beingemotional”,andwhenthecauseisnotobjectively easy to identify, as in FM. This relates to men being prescribed pain killers for their pain, whereas women have been more likely to receive sedatives or antidepressants, whether by general practitioners or sought specialists. In one of the largest studies of FM patients, it was found that alongside women experiencing a prolonged diagnosis than men, they were also more likely to be dismissed and sent for psychiatric evaluation instead (Wolfe, et al., 1995). Despite FM being more prevalent in women, with 80% of diagnoses being female, this has no effect on the speed of diagnosis, and instead increases suspicion that symptoms experienced by these women are psychosomatic. More recent findings corroborate this trend.Asystematic literature review identified women to routinely be assumed as more emotional, and therefore more subjective when reporting pain by (Samulowitz, et al., 2018). Given the higher incidence of FM in females, it can thus be inferred that the diagnosis and the condition itself can be treated with more scepticism, and therefore psychosomatic labels around FM tend to be more gendered. Contrastingly, men were described as reporting less pain, and male pain research participants have described feeling obliged to “display stoicism” in response to pain (Hoffmann & Tarzian, 2001) It should also be considered how within an already invisible illness, affected males do not fit the typical social script of a FM patient, and therefore may be invisible within the invisible. This could conversely argue for the low level of male diagnoses, as when they underreport pain, male symptoms may not match the typical FM patient profile. The gender dynamic described here underscores how societal expectations around emotion and pain expression continue to shape clinical perceptions and outcomes. However, it is important to approach the prior evidence critically. Many of these studies, rely predominantly on patient self-reports and retrospective analysis, and therefore have to be recognised as subjective interpretations with possible bias (Samulowitz, et al., 2018) & (Hoffmann & Tarzian, 2001) Furthermore, the differences between cultural and healthcare system standards across countries could limit the universality of their findings. It is also important to note that the majority of this evidence is based on western or globalnorth healthcare systems.As aresult, these sources reflected clinical models, standards and societal norms that may not be as widely prioritised or applicable in countries across the global south. The invisible nature of FM may present differently in culturally distinct settings, and the lack of research in non-western areas is a limitation to the current base of evidence. Therefore, whilst
there are consistent patterns across studies which strengthen the argument for systemic gender bias in FM diagnosis and treatment, they must be interpreted within their methodological and cultural limitations. In recognising these nuances, not only is the credibility of the argument reinforced, but also the complexity of addressing biases within medical practise is highlighted.
In summary, the perception that FM is primarily psychological is reinforced by its comorbidity with psychiatric conditions, responsiveness to placebo particular in FM, and persistent gender biases within healthcare systems. These factors overall contribute to diagnostic delays, misdirected treatments, and the invalidation of patient experiences, when they outweigh substantial evidence that underpins the biological underpinnings of FM.
STEM events
• Newscientistlive2025:NewScientistLiveisanaward winningfestivalofideasanddiscoveriesforeveryone curiousaboutscience.Occurring18-20thOctober,book ticketshere:
https://live.newscientist.com/ticket-options-prices
• Apply for London STEM Summer Camp, featuring Nobel Prize Winner speakers and the opportunity to presentaresearchproject,(19th July-1st August)here:
https://www.liysf.org.uk/liysf/experience-liysf
• 23rd September Lecture (LSE) on Valuing nature in a changingclimate.Bookticketshere:
https://www.lse.ac.uk/events/valuing-nature-in-achanging-climate
• 30th September Lecture (LSE): HOW AI is helping andharminganimals.Bookticketshereforfree: https://www.lse.ac.uk/events/how-ai-is-helping-andharming-animals
• BIEA Innovation Competition 2026 is upcoming, with thethemeof “Reducing foodwastefromField toTable.”
• LEHMUN conference in January 2026: use interdisciplinary skills to apply biological thinking topoliticalissuesinHealthCommittee.
• EdinburghScienceFestival2026iscallingforevent ideasubmissions!Submityourideashere:
https://www.edinburghscience.co.uk
• BritishScienceWeekishostinganarrayofevents,such asaseriesoflectures,SouthHamptonSciencefestival, and LightFest. Find out more and book necessary ticketshere:
https://www.britishscienceweek.org/whats-on/