Engagement Events
We are eager to inspire, inform, and excite school children about the opportunities for medical and scientific study, and the possibilities of where that study could lead.
In our efforts to increase participation and engagement in science we participate in a number of programmes.
Schools events
We are developing a programme of seminars offered to year 9 and 10 pupils to give them insight to how science is put into practice.
If you are interested in bringing a group of school children to the Institute, please contact Kay Howes kay.howes@ncl.ac.uk telephone 0191 222 8172.
Leading Edge
For the last 4 years, Dr Fiona Oakley and Professor Derek Mann from the Institute’s Fibrosis Lab have participated in the Leading Edge Project. This project pairs groups of year 9 students from local schools with a research active academic from Newcastle University. Dr Oakley and Prof Mann have worked with young people from The Sacred Heart School, St Cuthbert’s High School, Walbottle Campus and Thomas Hepburn Community College on research projects that look at how liver fibrosis (scarring) develops and reverses. This also gives the young people an understanding of how liver disease occurs and raises awareness of its associated risk factors.
This year pupils from Thomas Hepburn Community College have explored “understanding how the liver re-grows”, as part of which they worked with Dr Alex Laude in the Biomedical Imaging Unit and have produced computer generated images of cells during cell division or mitosis.
This year’s grand finale event will be held on 3rd July 2013 and young people will also present their projects at the British Science Festival in September 2013.
Famelab
John Kirby, Professor of Immunobiology was this year’s regional winner of Famelab UK and represented the University and Region in the national final in London in April 2013.
Famelab UK seeks to find the best new adult voices in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) and is geared towards clear communication. Professionals from academia and industry have just three minutes to present to a panel of judges any STEMM topic of their choice. There are no PowerPoint presentations, just the use of props participants can carry.
Professor Kirby impressed the judges with his ability to explain why the body rejects organ transplants and what medical science is doing to solve the problem. He explained the science behind organ and hip transplants with wit and humour. He was up against six other contestants, who presented on a range of topics - from soils and geoengineering, to why humans have evolved to be symmetrical, to the interplay between our nervous system and pain.
Professor Kirby’s experience has led to the Institute introducing a “Reduced Thesis Company” competition open to all of its PhD students at which students were invited to present the science behind their thesis in three minutes. The final of the 2013 competition was held at the Institute’s Research Day 3rd June with Rachel Williams being this year's winner.
Work Placement
We offer work placement to sixth form pupils who are interested in studying medicine or biomedical sciences. If you are interested in a work placement with us please contact the Institute Superintendent Tim Robson.
