Science in Health
The Science in Health programme has been running for many years and aims to inspire the next generation of talent in medicine, healthcare and science.
The programme comprises:
- Public Lectures – open to all
- Science in Health Live! – for Year 12 students
- Work experience scheme – for Year 12 students
- Life Sciences Challenge/Her Gwyddorau Bywyd – for Year 10 students
Public lectures
The public lecture series runs monthly between October and April in the form of free Zoom webinars. The lectures attract a diverse audience, including members of the general public, secondary school students and professionals. The aim of the series is to highlight areas of concern in healthcare and to present new research in science and health to the public.
Details of the latest series of lectures can be found below. Use the links provided to register and you will be sent details of how to join the Zoom webinar. Past lectures can also be viewed via links below.
2025/2026 Public Lecture Series
| Date and time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
Thursday 27 November 2025 19:00 | A Microbial Horror Show - Devastating outbreaks of disease that shaped how we fight infections | Professor Matthias Eberl, Cardiff University School of Medicine |
Thursday 12 February 2026 19:00 | My Life as a Rheumatologist and Medical Educator | Professor Rhian Goodfellow, Cardiff University School of Medicine |
Thursday 16 April 2026 19:00 | Learning to Be Safer: When Healthcare Gets It Right (and Wrong) | Professor Andrew Carson-Stevens, Cardiff University School of Medicine |
Science in Health Live!
This event has been welcoming students to the School of Medicine at Cardiff University for over 30 years. It takes place at Wales’s largest teaching hospital during National Science and Engineering Week.
It is aimed at Year 12 students studying science and maths A-Levels and gives attendees the opportunity to discover more about the latest internationally recognised science discoveries taking place, as well as finding out about the wide range of career opportunities available in the fields of science and healthcare.
2026 date
We are pleased to announce that Science in Health Live 2026 will take place on 11 March 2026.
Science in Health Live – 25th anniversary
Video of Science in Health LIVE 2019.
Lab work experience
A coordinated and evolving programme of schemes to inspire year 12 students that are interested in a science or medicine-related degree.
The students receive a general introduction to the week including an outline of the nature of the work undertaken in the research laboratories.
The remainder of the week is set up whereby the students have a range of experiences working in teams with a number of different investigators and their research groups.
The students have opportunities to experience cutting edge-technologies like molecular biology, flow cytometry, DNA sequencing, egg micro-injection, virology, mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography, pharmacology and cellular immunology with research groups from across the school.
Importantly, the students have the chance of meeting PhD students and post-doctoral fellows many of whom are in the early stages of their career. On the final afternoon, the students come together to describe what they have learnt from the week and information is also provided on the UCAS application process.
Apply for lab work experience
Work Experience 2026 will take place from 29 June to 3 July.
Lab work experience application form
Please complete the application form.
If this document cannot be read by your assistive software, you can request an accessible version by emailing web@cardiff.ac.uk. Please include the assistive tools you use and the format you require.
The closing date for applications is 1st May 2026.
Life Sciences Challenge
An inter-school competition for Year 10 pupils consisting of a quiz designed and delivered by both PhD students and early career researchers (Post Doctoral Researchers and Junior Fellows).
These are individuals who are passionate about science and have chosen to dedicate their lives to scientific research. They want to share this enthusiasm for trying to understand the natural world with pupils in Wales.
We hope that by giving pupils the opportunity to meet young scientists working locally, we will inspire them to consider the possibilities of scientific careers.
Some of the questions will follow the National Curriculum, but others may require knowledge gained from further reading/investigation.
Importantly, some questions will test pupils’ ability to analyse data and apply logic and learned knowledge to unfamiliar concepts. Questions will be largely Biology and Chemistry-based, but could involve aspects of Physics and Geology where these pertain to understanding the living world.
How to enter
To enter a team (or several teams) in the preliminary online round, please email medicengagement@cardiff.ac.uk. Closing date for entries is the end of January 2026.
For further information about any of these activities, please contact:
