By Lawrence Croot
New Scientist Live 2024 has come to a close, and what an incredible journey it was!
For the second year in a row, In2scienceUK has been part of the New Scientist Live event at the ExCel Centre in London. For those of you that don’t know about this event and why it’s so important that we attended, we joined over 200+ organisations to promote careers, opportunities and support for young people interested in STEM. This is something that is integral to our mission of delivering innovation and inspiring the next generation in STEM. We’re at this event to reach an important audience that will define the future of STEM, while connecting and networking with organisations that share our vision of making STEM inclusive and accessible to all.
This was our second time at the event, after attending with 6 alumni last year. We knew we wanted to do something bigger this year, so we partnered with even more In2careers alumni that took centre stage, presenting research developed through our programmes. They also helped guide, talk and lead discussions about the work of In2scienceUK and evidence the impact that our work has had on their careers and study. We have an interesting mix of alumni that have started in their careers, like Kulsum, and others that are continuing their journey into research, like Unik.
Meet our Presenters

Elizabeth
Next to her research on medical devices (sustainability and rethinking how healthcare supplies are manufactured and used)
“Over the summer, I will be completing a summer internship with the University of Leeds researching sustainable medical devices. I will be working within an Interdisciplinary team which will be led by a lecturer and a post grad student. Within this i will also be leading some younger students on some aspects of the project. I will be able to share the exact piece of research that I will be doing in a months time once I have actually started. However, while I’m working at my university I will be provided with practice presentation sessions where I will be guided in developing and sharing my own research poster. As well as the coaching I will receive over the summer I already have experience of presenting from my placement year where I had to describe technical issues to clients and non technical members of the team so I am confident in explaining difficult concepts to novices of the field. I was also the presenter of the weekly science radio show at my uni so I truly enjoy discussing topics I am passionate about.”

Unik
Next to his research on Neutrino physics (including cutting-edge research at Hyper-Kamiokande)
“I am a first-year PhD student in neutrino physics, specifically focusing on the Japanese long-baseline neutrino program. My current work involves the light injection system, which serves as a calibration tool for the upcoming Hyper-Kamiokande neutrino detector. I have presented at the In2careers conference, where I also displayed a poster. Additionally, I have experience presenting at first-year presentations, annual department meetings, and various external group meetings.”

Arnab
Next to his research on cystic fibrosis
“I recently graduated from UCL with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences. During my final year, I conducted a dissertation on cystic fibrosis, a disease that has captivated my interest for many years. My research focused on Ivacaftor, a drug that corrects the defective CFTR protein in cystic fibrosis patients but also hinders its formation. To address this issue, our lab conducted a comprehensive drug screening to identify alternative compounds with similar benefits but fewer drawbacks. My role involved investigating whether these new drug candidates also impede protein formation. In terms of presenting experience, I have shared my research findings at the In2Careers talk for sixth form students and at the Health and Research conference hosted by Dr. Rosamund Yu. These opportunities allowed me to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts to both academic and non-academic audiences.”

Kulsum
Next to her research on molecular biology and protein interaction
“The research that I am currently interested in molecular biology and protein protein interaction. I have previously presented my placement poster at University during Science Careers fair. I have also presented my project which I completed at the end of my industrial placement to the entire department.”

Michael
Next to his research on the use of mRNA therapy for congenital metabolic disease
“My research involves the use of mRNA therapy being used to treat a congenital metabolic disease. Specifically assessing the effects of ammonium concentration on hepatocyte and neurone viability and then assessing whether these can be “saved” by mRNA therapy. I have quite limited experience presenting, really only opportunities connected with my EPQ and other school projects.”