November 4 2021, Galway: Science Week is back, taking place across Ireland from November 4-11- and extending to November 21st in Galway! Here are some of the educational and inspiring events and activities hosted by CÚRAM for 2021.
Science on Screen Film Festival
After a triumphant inaugural event, the virtual Science on Screen Film Festival (SOSFF) Ireland returns for its second year and will host two new feature films as part of the 2021 programme.
SOSFF will premiere two new feature films Cooked: Survival by Zip Code and Science In Exile in addition to five of the original Science on Screen documentaries which will be available to audiences over the next two weeks from the 4th to the 18th November, 2022. The virtual screenings are free to attend, but ticket numbers are limited so registration at www.scienceonscreen.ie is essential.
The Festival once again invites audiences from every background to immerse themselves in scientific storytelling, hear from filmmakers and researchers on critical topics such as climate change and health research and aims to spark conversations among audiences about how STEM research impacts all of us on a personal level.
Science Waves
The second episode of ‘Science Waves’, the new podcast series led by primary school children as part of a public engagement project at CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices at NUI Galway, will air next Friday, (October 15th) at 11am on FLIRT FM.
CÚRAM’s Science Waves project is a series of science radio shows and podcasts made by children and scientists for children, in partnership with NUI Galway’s Alternative Radio Station, FLIRT FM. The first episode will air at 11am on 101.3FM, FLIRT FM and also online on www.flirtfm.ie
Science Waves was awarded funding through Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Programme in 2021. The Discover Programme funds projects dedicated to inspiring and empowering members of the public in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.
The second episode was made in collaboration with 5th class students of St Patrick’s Primary School. The episode on Diabetes and Sugar, features Professor Sean Dineen, Consultant Endocrinologist and Senior Lecturer in Medicine at NUI Galway, Dr Robert McEvoy, Specialist Registrar, Diabetes and Endocrinology, CÚRAM researcher Gillian Murphy, and YAP member, Síofra Kelleher. The students also worked with local rapper and producer, Touché, to create a rap about the brain which is also included in the episode.
Listen to the second episode of Science Waves, which will be broadcast on NUI Galway’s Alternative Radio Station, FLIRT FM, 101.3FM, at 11am on October 15th. For more information, contact Science Waves Manager, Andrea Fitzpatrick on andrea.fitzpatrick@nuigalway.ie
Science Mural completed
Students at St. Nicholas’ Parochial School in Galway co-creates a mural featuring their medical devices designs inspired from the marine world. CÚRAM and Galway Atlantaquaria have been educating students at St. Nicholas’ Parochial School in Galway about how marine organisms are helping scientists develop new ways to heal our bodies. Working with teaching artist, Alison Mac Cormaic, the “Tiny Sea Life, Big Cures” project inspired students to design their own marine-inspired medical devices. Alison featured the students’ designs to co-create a large-scale, interactive mural on the school building to share with the community.
An understanding of the role of marine life in human health is at the heart of the project. Educators from Galway Atlantaquaria discussed with students about marine life in Ireland and the importance of conservation, while CÚRAM researchers are taught students about marine sources of biomaterials and how they can heal the body.
CÚRAM features in SFI’s Science Show: Marine Medicine: What the Ocean Can Do for Your Health!
Learn about marine life and the importance of conservation in Ireland with CÚRAM’s Dr. Sarah Gundy, who will talk give us some examples of how the marine world can be utilised to heal the body. You can even learn how to recreate your own biomaterial (slime!) at home or in school.
Whether you are a teacher looking for an event for your class or a parent looking to take part, our friends at Science Foundation Ireland have something for everyone and RTÉ are proud to support it all.
See the episode here- https://youtu.be/O7J5nOvUYO4
Our collaborators and friends at Galway Atlantaquaria have feature in an episode called Ocean Challenges, see it here- https://youtu.be/iuRA-Wb9N8Q
Visits to Aquarium
CÚRAM will be welcoming families to Galway Atlantaquaria for tours of our new exhibit Marine meets Medtech at the National Aquarium of Ireland, launched in September 2021, showcasing how marine resources can aid medical device research.
The marine-inspired display at Galway Atlantaquaria, the National Aquarium of Ireland, shows how scientists are studying sponge slime to fight cancer and harmful microbes; using algae for controlled release of medicine; and copying barnacle glue to create surgical glue.
Visitors can browse information panels, tanks and models of marine resources that are used in medical device research.