Great Scot September 2019 Great Scot 157_September 2019_ONLINE | Page 36

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TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: PROFESSOR CHARLIE TEO ADDRESSING A CAPTIVATED AUDIENCE. BOTTOM (LEFT TO RIGHT) SCHOOL CAPTAIN NICK MARKS INTRODUCES PROFESSOR
TEO; ALEX DALEY AND JOSHUA EL-KHOURY PRESENT THEIR PROJECTS; WILLIAM SUTHERLAND SPEAKS OF HIS EXPERIENCES AT THE INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS OLYMPIAD;
SCHOOL VICE-CAPTAIN STONE KE THANKS PROFESSOR TEO FOR HIS ILLUMINATING ORATION.
SCIENCE ORATION 2019
Professor Charlie Teo unveils the magnificence of the brain
On the evening of 15 August, a sold-out
Ian Roach Hall filled with students, Old Boys,
current staff and distinguished guests, was
the location for Scotch’s seventh annual
Science Oration, this year delivered by
world-famous neurosurgeon and blossoming
TV personality, Professor Charlie Teo AM.
Not only has Professor Teo pioneered
some of the more innovative avenues of
minimally invasive surgery, in doing so saving
the lives of so many, his message of hope in
the face of seemingly insurmountable odds
has inspired people, both young and old,
from all walks of life to ascend towards a
better quality of life. Professor Teo has trained
neurosurgeons all around the world, including
at top institutions like Johns Hopkins, Harvard
and the Barrow Neurological Institute. He
has also received many awards, including a
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) award
in 2011.
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Great Scot Number 157 – September 2019
The oration, entitled ‘The Magnificent
Brain’, may have first appeared as a slightly
obtuse reference to the theme of 2019’s
National Science Week, ‘Destination Moon’.
However, as Head of Science Dr Marta
Cassidy explained in her opening remarks,
the very tool we use to explore uncharted
horizons is, paradoxically, the very thing we
know least about. So, to uncover the secrets
of the mind is to give comprehension, and
thus greater power, to the human capacity for
exploration.
Professor Teo’s lecture unveiled many
of the underlying features of cognitive
function, from memory to the limbic system.
Most memorable, too, were the insights
provided into the practicalities of surgery,
and how technology has, over time, brought
drastic changes in the treatment of various,
life-threatening conditions like Parkinson’s
disease. This, combined with discussions
relating to his own patients and his
innovations, exposed the audience to the vast
complexity of the brain.
Special thanks are in order for such a
wonderful night: first, to Alex Daley and
Joshua El-Khoury (both of Year 11) who
shared their creations of a self-tuning guitar
and automated blind system respectively,
as well as William Sutherland (Year 12), who
spoke on his recent trip to Israel to compete in
the International Physics Olympiad. Of course
we give due recognition to Dr Cassidy and Dr
Bhargava, without whom such a worthy event
would not take place. We encourage you
to attend next year’s Oration, and continue
to help make it one of the highlights of the
Scotch calendar.
NICK MARKS – SCHOOL CAPTAIN