Public engagement support is embedded across ISSF Seed Corn, Fellowship Support and Women Returners schemes. Some highlights of activities and events with our ISSF-funded researchers:
Tilly Gala - June 2016
The Tilly Gala is a family event organised by the Tillydrone community inviting people of all ages to come together and enjoy music, food and try new activities.
Dr Fiona Murray and her postgraduate student Jean Lyinikkel run a pharmacology activity looking at how our sugar levels change in response to hormones.
May Festival - May 2016
This year, the University Annual Festival attracted over 13,000 visitors to take part in an incredible spectrum of events ranging from arts, literature and music to science, food and sport.
Left: In the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas, Dr Heather Morgan shared her controversial predictions of a future in which we all use fitness-tracking apps and wearables to supply our health data to the NHS.
Right: Dr Stefania Spano’ and her team (in the photo Brionna Bell Scotton, Rosa Colamarino and Adam Rofe) engaged school children in a hands-on workshop on microbes, infections and antibiotics.
Café Med - May 2016
Café Med is a series of informal discussions that brings together the public with leading figures in medicine and biosciences.
Professor Adilia Warris, Professor Graham Devereux and Dr Deborah O'Neil talked about the advances that are being made in tackling infections in cystic fibrosis.
“Kingdom of Fungi” Exhibition at Aberdeen Science Centre - Opened May 2016
Researchers from the Aberdeen Fungal Group created a semi-permanent exhibition aimed at raising awareness of the impact of fungi on human health and at showcasing the cutting-edge research carried out by their team to combat life-threatening fungal infections. The exhibition features several interactives suitable for a family audience, including a custom-made “Fungal Invaders” video-game.
The exhibition will also form a backdrop for “meet the scientist” events at European Researchers’ Night and UK Fungus Day. ISSF-funded fungal research featured also in the “Killer Fungus” exhibit at the prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition (July 2016).
Professor Neil Gow opening the “Kingdom of Fungi” exhibition at Aberdeen Science Centre with Dr Ken Skeldon, Dr Barbara Gorgoni and pupils from Cults Academy.
British Science Week - March 2016
British Science Week is a UK-wide annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths. The SHMU Youth Media Group, which includes young people aged between 12 and 16 years old from the city’s regeneration areas, were invited to the Zoology building to take part in a workshop on genome mapping led by Dr Alasdair MacKenzie.
Dr Alasdair MacKenzie demonstrated how to extract and analyse genomic DNA.
TechFest - September/October 2015
TechFest is Aberdeen and the North-East’s annual festival of science, technology, engineering and maths to which the University of Aberdeen contributes a range of exciting public events and activities.
Dr Nimesh Mody explained the links between obesity, diabetes and Vitamin A.
European Researchers’ Night - September 2015
ERN, or Explorathon in Scotland, is a one-day celebration of research happening simultaneously across Europe. The University of Aberdeen organises an extravaganza of shows, family activities, comedy and discovery.
Dr Heather Morgan and Dr Amy Bryzgel led a “bubble” flash-mob in Union Square to show the effects of passive smoke.
Doors Open Day - September 2015
Every year Aberdeen opens its most iconic buildings and invites the public to explore the city’s heritage. The University takes part with several buildings and museums, including the Institute of Medical Sciences.
Dr Indrani Mukhopadhya demonstrated how faecal samples are used to obtain information on the microbes living in our gut and how they may cause disease.
Ben Rutter, Dr Donna MacCallum and Dr Alex Brand explained how animal models are used in biomedical research and in particular in the investigation of serious fungal infections.