© Pint of Science, 2026. All rights reserved.
Our brains are a complex of interweaving electrical and chemical activity. In these talks Dr Amanda Kiemes and Dr Vasileia Kotoula will explain how different internal and external chemicals can change our brain function and how this can be observed.
The Brain’s Chemical Brakes: How GABA Keeps Us in Control (Until It Doesn’t)
Dr Amanda Kiemes
(Senior Data Analyst Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust)
Your brain is always active. But how does it stay balanced? Meet GABA, the brain’s main “brake” chemical. We’ll explore how GABA helps control brain activity, why that’s crucial for everything from vision to emotions, and what can happen when it goes wrong. Using the advances in brain scan technology, we’re starting to discover how this tiny molecule keeps our minds in check.
Why is ketamine an antidepressant?
Dr Vasileia Kotoula
(Lecturer in Neuroscience and Psychology)
Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, has, over the last 20 years, been used as a fast-acting antidepressant, especially for treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine’s antidepressant effects typically peak 24 hours after a single infusion and may last up to one week. However, the mechanisms underlying ketamine’s antidepressant action remain poorly understood.
This talk will explore what is currently known about ketamine’s antidepressant effects in the brain.
This talk will explore what is currently known about ketamine’s antidepressant effects in the brain.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.