Public Engagement at the CGTRM

At the CGTRM we are passionate about involving and engaging the public with our work. Patients and the public play an important role in contributing to and learning about our research, acting as advisers and potentially also as co-researchers.

At the CGTRM we have an active public engagement program. Our researchers, whether senior investigators, postdocs, PhD students or research assistants enjoy, and are good at, connecting with audiences in diverse ways, including collaborations with fashion brands, multimedia artists, blog articles, and weekly public facing podcasts. Along with our research staff, we also have a full-time Public Engagement Officer who is dedicated to bringing awareness of our research to the public and, where possible, involving them in our research.

If you or your school would be interested in visiting the Centre and taking part in one of our events, please get in touch: cgtrm.admin@kcl.ac.uk

Embriodery and Origami workshop Embroidery and origami workshops to explain stem cell science and informally talk about research.

“Public Engagement” in science is a broad term which describes the many ways which bring the public and researchers together in a way that mutually benefits both groups. Generally, public engagement activities coming out of the Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine (CGTRM) aim to inspire, inform, collaborate with, or consult the public.

As much as possible, public engagement should be a two-way process, in which researchers listen to and have open discussion with the public to help research better fit societal needs and serve the public.

The “public” can include:

Local community groups
Young people
Patients
Underserved and disadvantaged groups
Students
Government and policy makers

Collaborating with artists to create public exhibitions and creative workshops exploring stem cell research, including contributing to the Spare Parts season at the Science Gallery London.

Why is public engagement a priority for the CGTRM?

For the CGTRM and Our Research

Public engagement can increase access to, contribution to, and interest in the research at the CGTRM. This will raise the profile of research at the CGTRM and keep the research relevant to the public, which in turn will make its value clear to funding bodies. This will also help to dispel misconceptions about stem cell and gene therapy research which are often subject to misinformation and misunderstanding.

For Widening Participation

As a university, King’s College London has a commitment to working “with underrepresented learners and their supporters, empowering them to access, thrive and succeed in higher education”. We can serve this commitment to widening participation by using the outstanding science and scientists at the CGTRM to encourage pupils from underserved communities to consider studying and pursuing careers in STEM.

For Staff and Students

Interaction with the public can motivate staff and students, helping them see the relevance and utility of their work in wider society. Public engagement activities also aid in the development of a wide range of transferable skills from event planning to presentation and public speaking.

For Funding Bodies

The majority of research undertaken at the CGTRM is publicly funded by government or charitable bodies (i.e. UKRI (BRC/MRC), Wellcome Trust, DUK, JDRF). It is our responsibility to make sure that this research is transparent and accessible to this public and that they public is best served by the research undertaken. In many cases, funders also have expectations for public engagement which we must endeavour to fulfil.

Leading panel discussions about the reality of stem cell research at Science Fiction Theatre Festivals.

Key aims

Young People

Aim: To engage with young people to inspire and enthuse them about science and about pursuing higher education and future careers in science

This also contributes to the KCL commitment to widening participation as we aim to work with schools with students from backgrounds which are underrepresented in academic research.

How will this be achieved?

Continue to develop activities for children and young people
Visits to local primary and secondary schools to deliver talks and activities.
Hosting events at the CGTRM for secondary school and sixth form aged students.
Engaging with undergraduate science students at KCL
Encouraging researchers to join already established tutoring/mentoring/teaching programmes e.g. Nuffield Research Placements, Brilliant Club Scholars Programme, In²Science

Local Community Groups

Aim: To build a collaborative and inclusive relationship with Lambeth and Southwark communities so that they are aware and can have input into the research at the CGTRM

How will this be achieved?

Running workshops and events open to the community i.e. for Team London Bridge, local fundraising evens
Taking stalls/activities to local fairs
See section above

Patient Interaction

Aim: To consult with patient groups on the research conducted at the CGTRM to shape our research to fit the needs of the public and make the most impact.

Patient groups often express feeling “used” by researchers when it benefits them (e.g. for grant proposals) therefore to avoid this wen also aim to keep patients in the loop in regard to the research that comes from their input or will be relevant to them.

How will this be achieved?

Building a relationship with patient groups and advocacy groups (e.g., through lab tours and Q&A sessions)
Presenting work to relevant patient groups in and outside of KCL both when needed for grants and as part of the normal research process

Increasing Reach

Aim: To increase the reach of both research at the CGTRM and understanding of scientific research in general.

By increasing our social media presence which will have the benefit of both raising the profile of CGTRM research and peeling the curtain back on scientific research, giving the public insight into a real research environment.

How will this be achieved?

Increased posting of research outputs on Twitter and Instagram
Continued posting of talks and events at the CGTRM
Starting a CGTRM TikTok account and posting videos on techniques used in and research done.
Livestreaming experiments on TikTok Live

Improvement

Aim: To refine and improve the quality our public engagement and outreach activities and events by building on previous experience.

This will be achieved through collecting and implementing feedback and evaluation from each event held.

Hosting visits for summer school and outreach programmes across London and internationally, with initiatives such as The London International Youth Forum, King's STARS, Native Scientist and the Social Mobility Foundation.

CGTRM TikTok - Cryosectioning with Christina and Microinjection

Ongoing: CGTRM TikTok

Check out the CGTRM TikTok page for short, fun videos about the research we do here and the lab techniques we use to do it: https://www.tiktok.com/@cgtrm

We also live stream experiments! Watch along and ask questions as our researchers work.

Is there anything you would like to see on our TikTok page? Get in contact at cgtrm.admin@kcl.ac.uk

Ongoing: School Visits to the Centre

Year round, we receive students at the Centre to take a tour of the labs, hear talks from scientists, and take part in activities. If you would be interested in a school group visiting the Centre, please contact cgtrm.admin@kcl.ac.uk. Please note that this is limited to Year 10 and above.

Ongoing: Researchers Visiting Schools

Our researchers, from PhD students to group leaders, regularly visit primary and secondary schools to deliver science workshops, give careers talks, and talk about their exciting research. If you are interested in members of the CGTRM visiting your school, please contact cgtrm.admin@kcl.ac.uk.

We also take part in the Access Aspiration programme (part of the Mayor's Fund for London) which aims to provide young Londoners from low income backgrounds with skills and networks to support new routes into university and employment.

Stitch 'n Stem at New Scientist Live 2024

Stitch n’ Stem @ New Scientist Live 2024

From the 12^th-14^th October, a team of researchers from the CGTRM attended the New Scientist Live Exhibition at the London ExCEL, brining Stitch n’ Stem to over 26,000 attendees. The stand was a hub of excitement, curiosity and hands-on learning, engaging people of all ages in the fascinating world of stem cell research.

Attendees learnt about the incredible science behind stem cells and how we can use them to improve healthcare, such as curing blindness, by stitching images of cells made through real groundbreaking scientific research from the centre.

One attendee commented “Stitch n’ Stem makes biology more fun by learning how to draw cells in simple diagrams with multiple colors,” and another visitor said “I learned about different cell types and that they all fit inside everyone’s body. Amazing!”

Find out more about New Scientist Live at https://live.newscientist.com/

Staff and Student Volunteers: Heather Kneale, Philippa Harding, Hannah Casbolt, Emily Lanning, Christi Mofidi, Krunal Narendra Kumar, Jamie Delicata, Maja Wojynska, Ted Weaver, Helen Brown, Alexander Smith, Constanza Avalos, Mark Basche, Emma West, Jingshhu Liu

Embroider your own cells using the Stitch n’ Stem DIY resources available here.

Stitch 'n Stem at the Florence Nightingale Museum

Stitch n’ Stem @ the Florence Nightingale Museum

On May 23^rd, the Florence Nightingale Museum transformed into a hub of creativity, as Stitch n’ Stem team hosted a unique evening blending art and cutting-edge science. Attendees were welcomed into an intimate setting to learn about groundbreaking stem cell research from the CGTRM while engaging their creative side to create science-inspired embroideries. Throughout the evening, researchers from the Stitch n’ Stem center shared insights into their work on using stem cells to unlock new understanding of development and disease.

Find out about other events happening at the Florence Nightingale Museum at https://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/

Staff and Student Volunteers: Philippa Harding, Emily Lanning, Eva Hamrud, Constanza Avalos, Nathaly Hernández Díaz, Praditi Mulik

Embroider your own cells using the Stitch n’ Stem DIY resources available here.

Stitch 'n Stem at the British Science Festival 1

Stitch n’ Stem @ the British Science Festival

The Trophoblast and Human Embryo lab took Stitch n’ Stem to the British Science Festival. The British Science Festival is Europe’s longest-standing science festival, travelling to a different place in the UK each year. The Festival aims to connect people with scientists, engineers, technologists and social scientists. This year the Festival was hosted by the University of East London between 11-15^th of September and events were held at the Docklands and Stratford campus. The workshop participants were from a diverse background, with all ages and a range of scientific experience represented. We had a lively conversation with questions about how we access human samples for research, how can our research directly help patients, and how much our experiments cost!

Staff and Student Volunteers: Norah Fogarty, Paula Balestrini, Nathaly Hernández Díaz, Praditi Mulik

Stitch n Stem at British Science Festival

Loughborough Primary School Year 6 Science Workshops (2022)

PhD students from the CGTRM visited Loughborough Primary school several times in 2022 to deliver a three-part workshop, each time to over 40 year 6 pupils. The workshops give the pupils a taste of the research conducted at the CGTRM as they inspect tissue sections down a microscope, learn how to use mechanical pipettes, and build bioslime to replicate the 3D structures used to support cells in the lab. Elikem (11) said “As [soon as] I stepped in the science lab I felt like a scientist”. We hope our visits have inspired the future generation of scientist!

5^th Nov22: Charity Fun Run for Fight for Sight

Researchers of the CGTRM took part in a KCL 3 Campus (Guy’s-Waterloo-Strand) run to raise money for the charity Fight For Sight. Scientists who research retinal diseases ran and walked alongside members of the Southwark community whilst discussing their research to bring more awareness to the diseases, research, and charity.

25th Oct 22: Women in Science Photography Exhibit

Portrait Photographer Fanny Beckman spent a week in the CGTRM, capturing images of women who work at the Centre in their daily routines and learning more about their experiences as women in science. An exhibition of these photos and stories, which aimed to inspire and inform future research careers, was held in the Great Hall at King’s College London and received over 150 visitors.

21st Oct 22: Team London Bridge MediCulture Festival: Stich ‘n’ Stem

The London Bridge area has a long history of medicine, health, and wellbeing and the CGTRM is part of this long history, based on the 28^th floor of Guy’s Hospital, which was originally founded in 1721. As part of Team London Bridge’s MediCulture Festival we hosted a Stitch ‘n’ Stem workshop where members of the public learnt about stem cell research and future therapies whilst embroidering templates of real cell images taken during research studies.

Check out the Team London Bride website for more events like this: https://www.teamlondonbridge.co.uk/events

11 Aug 22: School Holiday Activity Camp: Biomedicine Day

The flagship school holiday activity camp was run by the School of Basic and Medical Biosciences with the BRC for children of KCL staff aged 5-11. The day involved a range of exciting, educational activities centred around Biomedicine and Medical Sciences including our beloved Bioslime making activity. This activity teaches children about using stem cells and biomaterials whilst giving them the chance to work the way real researchers do!

29 Jul 22: London International Youth Science Forum Visit

The CGTRM welcomed our first visitors since 2019 from the London International Youth Science Forum. The students heard a short seminar, took a tour around the lab, then worked together to run a DNA extraction experiment on the bench.

Staff and Student Volunteers: Inês Tomas, Anna Salowka, and Matteo Battilocchi.

16 Jul 22: Lambeth Country Show

The Lambeth Country Show returned after a two-year break to Brockwell Park and was jam packed with music, theatre, agriculture, sports, horticulture, science, education, and more. The CGTRM, alongside Guy’s and St. Thomas Research, ran a stall where attendees could learn to use mechanical pipettes and make Bioslime.

Staff and Student Volunteers: Clarisse Ganier and Priyanka Bhosale

9 Jul 22: Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2022: Stitch ‘n’ Stem

The Summer Science Exhibition is the Royal Society’s flagship public engagement event. It is the oldest science festival in the UK and has been taking place for over 30 years. For the 2022 Exhibition, the CGTRM took our fun, interactive Stitch 'n' Stem workshop which allows participants to learn about stem cell research and future therapies whilst embroidering templates of real cell images taken during research studies. The team welcomed over 150 participants throughout the afternoon, who eagerly discussed the fascinating world of stem cell research over needlecraft.

Check out the full story here

Staff and Student Volunteers: Lazaros Fotopoulos, Victoria Tsang, and Haneen Alsehli.

Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2021: Growing New Body Parts website screenshot

8-11 Jul 2021: Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2021: Growing New Body Parts

The Summer Science Exhibition is the Royal Society’s flagship public engagement event. It is the oldest science festival in the UK and has been taking place for over 30 years. For the 2021 Exhibition, the CGTRM created an online, interactive exhibition covering many aspects of our research. You can still find the exhibition online where you can join some famous faces to make biomaterial slime at home, try your hand at cell transplantation in an online game, become a citizen scientist by identifying cells, and discover the true potential of stem cells.

Staff and Student Volunteers: Aimee Cheesbrough, Priyanka Bhosale, Clarisse Ganier, Ella Hubber, and Erika Wiseman