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Posted on January 31st 2020
University-Style STEM Day for Year 10
This was a STEM-focused day for a small number of Year 10 pupils from each of the academies across the Federation.
The students found it very interesting and an amazing opportunity to explore the world of STEM outside of the classroom setting.
The day was spent looking at scientific issues relevant to today’s society. Pupils had three university-style lectures delivered by:
- Lizzy Bourne, PhD student, Molecular and Population Genetics Team, Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute for Cancer Research: Lizzy is part of a team working to identify cancer susceptibility genes and understand how these can cause cancer.
- Maryou Lambros, Senior Scientific Officer, Cancer Biomarkers Team, Division of Clinical Studies, Institute for Cancer Research: Maryou is part of a team conducting biomarker-driven clinical and translational research to accelerate the development of novel cancer therapies and improve understanding of cancer biology, drug sensitivity and resistance.
- Miss Haughton-Nicholls, Subject Lead - Biology, HASU, Genetics masterclass: The role of genetics in cancer detection: Miss Lacey, Lead Practitioner in Science, HASU. In this hands-on practical/lecture, students gained an understanding of the p53 tumour suppressor gene and its role in familial cancers.
This was followed by some seminars for higher order thinking:
- Analysis and evaluation of DNA electrophoresis results led by Miss Haughton-Nicholls, Subject Lead - Biology, HASU
- Ethical issues in genetic screening led by Mr Sanderson, Director of Learning HASU.
These sessions are to be followed by other STEM sessions from across the Federation with other focuses on the building blocks of STEM.
Thank you to all staff who supported the event.