Public Engagement

Public engagement is an important, and fun, part of our lab’s work.

If you’d like to collaborate on an activity or you are curious about what is possible, please get in touch.

Below are a few highlights.

3-Minute Thesis

While a Bye-Fellow at Christ’s College, Cambridge, Stan served as a judge for a 3-Minute Thesis competition, where students learn to hone their science communicaiton skills.

Hands — Judging the Christ’s College (Cambridge) 3-Minute Thesis final. (2024)

Talking Together

During the pandemic, Stan took part in Talking Together, a phone-based programme that connected researchers with seldom-heard communities for informal conversations about science.

Chalky — Reaching audiences by phone when in-person events weren’t possible. (2022)

Science Comedy

Science-inspired comedy is a great way to show that scientist are just normal people. Or to confirm the public’s suspicions that we are as delightfully odd as they think we are! Stan has performed sets, emceed comedy nights, and trained performers in Cambridge and London.

Haha — Public engagement is no laughing matter. (2016)

Game Lab

At the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute we ran Game Jams that brought local game developers together with researchers to prototype games inspired by current science.

Prof Smith — Developers and scientists co-creating gameplay from stem-cell biology. (2017)

Pint of Science

Stan was lucky to arrive in the Oxford in the very first year of Pint of Science and was an organizer and supporter ever since. Talking science in the pub: accessible, informal, and fun.

Cheers — The search for AI, I wonder it we have found it yet? (2013)

Creative Reactions

By the festival’s third year we founded Creative Reactions, pairing local artists with speakers to create artwork inspired by their talks. Pieces were shown alongside the events and then in a dedicated exhibition.

ART! — Art meets science: an exhibition of works inspired by research talks. (2015)