A team from LSTM will be exhibiting, for the very first time, at the prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London in July 2016.
The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition(link is external) is a week-long annual display of the most exciting cutting-edge science developments in the UK, where the public can meet scientists, try some of the hands-on activities or attend inspiring talks and events.
The exhibition, entitled The Mosquito Diaries, is led by Vector Biology PhD student Ms Josie Parker and LSTM’sEngaging Tools for Communication in Health (ETCH) team’s Ms Charlotte Hemingway. It involves the work of Josie Parker's supervisor, Dr Philip McCall, and ETCH team’s Dr Marlize Coleman, Dr Edward Thomsen and colleagues from the University of Warwick.
Furthermore, Mosquito Diaries will be previewed at Liverpool’s LightNight(link is external) event at the Everyman Theatre before it is taken to the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London.
The exhibit will involve a demonstration of live adult mosquitoes, a competitive buzz-wire game, the computer games developed by LSTM’s Engaging Tools for Communication in Health (ETCH) team and a mosquito mask-making craft activity for younger visitors.
Over the past several months, the team have been busy applying for funding to produce Mosquito Diaries. They have reaped the rewards of their hard work and have subsequently been awarded over £7000 from a number of sources which include the MRC, Avecnet, the Awesome Foundation and the Royal Society.
A short video is currently in production utilising the expertise of LSTM’s Audio-Visual Officer Robert Prendergast and Manta Ray Media showcasing how the project uses both traditional science and innovation in technology to tackle the worldwide burden of malaria. Furthermore, Charlotte Hemingway and volunteer Natalie Lissenden have taken part in science communication training provided by the Science Museum in London in the lead up to the summer exhibitions.
LSTM’s Public Engagement Manager, Dr Elli Wright, commented: “Exhibiting at Liverpool’s LightNight and at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2016 is a fantastic opportunity for LSTM and its researchers. As we develop our public engagement programme at LSTM it is important that people outside the organisation get to understand a little more about the fantastic, life-saving research that we undertake.”
LightNight is Liverpool’s one-night family-friendly arts and culture festival, taking place throughout the evening of Friday 13th May 2016. The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition is the Society’s main public event and is open to members of the general public as well as schools, students and members of the media. It runs from the 5th - 10th July 2016 at the Royal Society in London.