Ewch i’r prif gynnwys

Understanding science

Mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.

We develop workshops, seminars and exhibits that focus on all aspects of our research and deliver our activities in both English and Welsh.

Hay Festival 2016
At the Hay Festival 2016 in Hay-on-Wye, Wales

We participate in the Public Understanding of Science in Health Lectures series, aimed at opening up areas of current concern in health care and presenting the latest progress in biomedical research to the public. These lectures attract a diverse audience of interested individuals including secondary school pupils, teachers, patients and health care professionals.

We work closely together with Techniquest Science Museum on public engagement activities and are involved in events such as the Cardiff Science Festival, Soapbox Science, Hay Festival and The National Eisteddfod.

We develop educational applications that highlight basic concepts of the body's response to pathogens, vaccines and tumours, such as our computer game "MacMan" that was developed in collaboration with the University of South Wales and is targeted at primary school children.

Researcher gets artistic to support homeschooling

A researcher in the School of Medicine has created some fantastic worksheets to help parents and teachers with their homeschooling.

Lucy Chapman, a research technician in the Humphreys group within the division of Infection and Immunity, has used the current lockdown situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic to inspire her to create some colouring pages along the theme of infections and viruses.

Lucy says "I’ve been part of Ian’s (Humphreys) lab for 2 years now and I couldn’t ask for a better lab to be in!

In the last year, the Humphreys group started a school outreach program where we visit primary schools in Wales to teach them about the body’s immune system using fun activities like making snot, making antibodies out of Lego and using microscopes to find white blood cells.

To our delight this has been quite the success! Although our daily lives have come to a sudden stop due to the lockdown, we wanted to maintain this public engagement whilst supporting teachers and parents who are homeschooling.

This is where the idea of colouring pages came in! I’ve always been artistic, and I love to explain to friends and family how fascinating and exciting science can be (much to their delight!), so creating educational colouring sheets seemed to fit perfectly.

Increasing the public’s understanding and interest in science is crucial in this current situation, and I hope this is another small step towards that goal!"

Colouring worksheets

Taflen waith lliwio heintiau a firysau

Adnodd addysgol am heintiau a firysau.

Taflen waith lliwio heintiau a firysau

Adnodd addysgol am heintiau a firysau.

Taflen waith lliwio brechlynnau

Adnodd addysgol am frechlynnau.

Taflen waith lliwio brechlynnau

Adnodd addysgol am frechlynnau.

We reach out to teachers and school children via the Science in Health: Live! events as part of the University's contribution to the National Science and Engineering Week, including laboratory tours, interactive exhibition areas and short talks on hot topics in medicine to inspire the next generation of scientists and healthcare providers.

We participate in staging a Wales-wide inter-school competition for year 10 pupils modelled on the TV quiz show University Challenge. This competition is held both in English (The Life Sciences Challenge) and in Welsh (Her Gwyddorau Bywyd).

Pwy ydw i Pwll Coch
"Pwy ydw i?" (Who am I?") workshop at Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch, a Welsh-medium primary school in Cardiff.

Many of our researchers participate in the STEM ambassador scheme to inspire and encourage young people to enjoy STEM subjects. We provide mentoring, support and resources for engagement activities, including workshops at primary and secondary schools.

We organise patient-focused events and pub quizzes to raise awareness for our research and its implications for improved patient management and public health via diagnostics, therapies, vaccines and life-style choices.

For instance, we have set up the Sepsis Patient and Public Engagement Centre to promote a close interaction between patients, researchers and clinical staff, and thereby make a real difference in our research and the clinic.

Updates of our research and engagement activities feature regularly on our website and social media channels, as well as in print and online magazines such as ReMEDy, Cardiff Connect and Advances Wales.

We cooperate with newspapers, radio and TV stations, including close links to Radio Glamorgan, the award-winning hospital radio station serving the University Hospital of Wales.

Life Sciences winners
Winners of the Life Sciences Challenge 2016 (English language) were Whitchurch High School from Cardiff