Picture a bright, sunny Sunday in Cambridge with no signs of rain. Boaters glide across the Charles River, enjoying the beautiful weather.
It is an undeniably perfect October morning to grab a cup of coffee and witness some amazing science at the Cambridge Science Festival.
On October 1, the Mass General Research Institute participated in the Cambridge Science Festival’s annual Science Carnival and Robot Zoo.
The Cambridge Science Festival (CSF) is an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). The festival makes science accessible, interactive, and fun, highlighting the impact of STEAM in all our lives.
As is widely known, here at the Mass General Research Institute, we love sharing our love for science (and our scientists). We were grateful to be joined by David Sykes, MD, PhD, from the Center of Regenerative Medicine, and Shannon Stott, PhD, d’Arbeloff MGH Research Scholar 2022-2027, from the Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery at our booth titled ‘The Science of You’.
Dr. Sykes and Dr. Stott delivered educational and enjoyable activities to share how Mass General researchers are using science to save people’s lives.
Learn About Your Blood! Plus, awesome lollipops!
Using his expertise in hematology, Dr. Sykes prepared an interactive booth to engage attendees on the functionality of white and red blood cells and lymphocytes.
The booth featured posters, puzzles, games and artistic displays of red and white blood cells counts in the human body. One of the best parts of the booth were the delicious lollipops Dr. Sykes brought! They did not last very long (note for next year: double the count of lollipops).
Given that Dr. Sykes is particularly interested in rare hematologic conditions, these activities were the perfect opportunity to enlighten attendees about how he uses science to ensure his patients get the best care possible.
"It was a beautiful day in Cambridge at the Science Festival, which was a wildly popular event with tons of people at every booth,” said Sykes.
“We were delighted at the interest in our ‘Blood Booth,’ with kids and parents working on the puzzles and asking questions and checking the blood oxygen levels! We will be better prepared in the future with more Blood Lollipops."
Zebrafish here, zebrafish there, zebrafish everywhere!
Dr. Stott's booth aimed to teach people how zebra fish work and how scientists (like her) use them to learn more about disease and investigate new treatment strategies.
As part of the activity, Dr. Stott had a microscope (which, undoubtedly, made her the cool kid on the block) that allowed festival-goers to observe a zebra-fish larvae’s beating heart.
Zebrafish hearts are interesting to researchers because they regenerate after injury. Insights studying these fish could help investigators develop new strategies to help human patients heal better after heart attacks.
"As I got into the elevator to head back to my car (holding my microscope), I was with three other families,” Stott recalled. “One asked me, ‘You were the fish lady, right? It was awesome.’
“Someone from the second family said, ‘I loved it. My brother had a heart transplant two years ago at MGH, and I wanted to tell you how amazing it is that you do that research.’”
Then a child in the third family said, ‘I loved that you let me touch your microscope.’”
“It was a great end to a long day, so I went home feeling good – it made me remember why we do the work we do.”
About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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