The Inositide ISP - Public Engagement

Scientists and PhD students within the Inositide ISP regularly take part in the Institute’s Public Engagement activities for our local community and schools, giving talks and hosting students in the laboratories for summer placements.

PhD students from the Inositide ISP laboratories have helped to design hands-on exhibits and explain Babraham’s displays at the Cambridge Science Festival. These exhibits have been designed for children from 5 years upwards and include an immunology-themed snakes and ladders, antibody-antigen jigsaw and the ever-popular build your own bacterium.

Several of the Inositide ISP laboratories have hosted 6th form students over the summer, either through the Nuffield Foundation bursary scheme or Babraham’s Bioscience Boot Camp, which has been running since 2007. Boot Camp gives 6th formers an insight into bioscience research through short research placements, science talks and careers discussions, enabling interaction with inspiring role models in science-based professions to help students make informed decisions about their careers.

One project in 2011 was organised by Dr Simon Rudge and Kate Champion who was herself a summer student at the Institute last year. "The Boot Camp was beneficial not only for the students but also for me, as a peer mentor. It was very rewarding for me to be able to share my knowledge of laboratory techniques and my passion for the supporting theoretical background,” explained Kate.“This opportunity to gain insight into a working research laboratory is especially important during year 12 as the students are making critical decisions about university and future careers. Having had the same decisions to make a year ago, the students were keen to hear my perspective on university courses and career paths.  I was inspired to pursue biomedical research as a career by my placement last summer at Babraham."

Key publications from the Inositide ISP

Translating the ISP's Research into Action (KEC)

Public Engagement

Skills training