Become a scientist at Ekka

Ever wondered what it is like to be a scientist? Well come and visit the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in the National Science Week pavilion at the Ekka.

Dress as a scientist and have your photo take in our lab; find out what genetic traits you inherited from your parents; learn to load a DNA gel; chat with our scientists about their research.

“At the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) we believe in better health through medical research. One of our goals is to inspire the scientists of tomorrow and encourage students to consider careers in science. If our Ekka display captures the imagination of just one future researcher, all the planning and activities will be worth it,” explained Simone Cross, QIMR’s Education Coordinator.

QIMR currently has 80 honours and PhD students completing research programs in a range of exciting areas – from understanding the genetic causes of cancer to developing a vaccine for malaria. According to Simone Cross, “Our students come from far and wide. Many are Brisbane based but we also have students from all corners of the globe including Germany, Papua New Guinea and the United States.”

The QIMR Education Program reaches over 2000 school students every year. School groups regularly visit the Institute and learn about medical research through hands on laboratory experiences. “QIMR’s 2009 High School Lecture series saw over 1500 students hear from many of our world-class researchers about their cutting edge science. The lecture also went out to five schools in far north Queensland via video conferencing facilities.”

“We also have a very successful outreach program where our scientists visit schools in remote areas and work alongside students to perform world class research.”

QIMR will be at Ekka in the National Science Week Pavilion 6 – 15 August 2009.