Join Emily Fong, Dr Elaine Emmerson and key clinical and patient partners for a dynamic discussion about the experience of collaboration between art, science, surgery, pathology and the patient experience of head and neck cancer, hosted by Hazel Lambert.

Despite being a lifesaving treatment for head and neck cancer patients, a side-effect of radiotherapy is damage to salivary glands, leading to the chronic condition of dry mouth. This can severely affect a patient’s quality of life, with existing treatments focusing on short-term relief of side-effects. Dr Elaine Emmerson’s research at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM) aims to develop a regenerative strategy to restore salivary gland function.

During her residency at CRM, artist Emily Fong observed the journey taken by the salivary gland, from the time it is removed from the patient through to research taking place in the Emmerson Lab; meeting with patients, surgeons, oncologists, pathologists and scientists, capturing different perspectives and interactions with the organ. From this experience, the project G-lands: An Out of Body Experience emerged. Her observations from her journey in the form of illustrations and sculpture are currently exhibiting at Summerhall as part of the Bioverse exhibition.