Over 50 engaging events form schedule at European Researchers’ Night event coordinated by Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with the RCSI.

Trinity College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) will offer the public a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the world of research – and researchers – at Discover Research Dublin on Friday, 26 September. This event, featuring more than 50 free and exciting interactive events and demonstrations will take place on Trinity College Dublin’s campuses.

Discover Research Dublin showcases in a tangible way what researchers really do and why research matters for your daily life. Exploring questions through a variety of unique digital and traditional formats including interactive 3D installations, apps and social media, debates, digital archives, tours, presentations and photography, Discover Research Dublin will feature something for everyone.

Participants can immerse themselves in 3D visualisations of the brain, understand how we mend broken hearts, take on their peers in the LEGO challenge to build abstract prototypes under time pressure, and go behind the scenes at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI). As well as enjoying tours of the labs, where researchers will explain how technology allows them to make life-saving breakthroughs, visitors will have a chance to hear all about the ‘Higgs Boson – the so-called God particle’, and what it means for the history of our universe.

Additional highlights will see people help astrophysicists rank solar eruptions seen in the Sun, consider the biodiversity in our everyday lives, meet researchers from different disciplines and hear about their work in snappy ‘three-minute thesis’ presentations, and learn about the motion of muscles by immersing themselves in 3D video pieces that show such movement in incredible detail.

One very exciting element of the programme will see the public take part in the Hello Brain challenge, which has been specially designed to flex the grey matter by routing visitors to different events that each require a different cognitive workout. As part of a related research project, there is a recommendation for us all to follow five steps to develop ‘healthier brains’; the Hello Brain challenge will ask visitors to get physically active, stay socially engaged, challenge their brains, manage stress, and adapt their lifestyles by directing them to specific events related to these themes, where participants will answer questions and collect stickers confirming their completion of these events.

RCSI will showcase three initiatives on the night. ‘Anatomists and Engineers – Anatomy from the Outside In’ will show through the use of movement, colour, illustration and 3D technology the body from the outside in. ‘Helping the Body to Heal Itself’ from the RCSI Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG) will showcase how scaffolds are used in the body to regenerate tissue and restore normal tissue function and ‘Mending Broken Hearts’ from the Advanced Materials for Cardiac Regeneration (AMCARE) project will show visitors what happens in the body during and after a heart attack and how regenerative therapies are being used to treat the damage caused by heart attacks.

Cliona O’Farrelly, Professor of Comparative Immunology at Trinity College Dublin (TBSI) and leader of Trinity’s bid to front Ireland’s contribution to what is a Europe-wide Discover Research initiative, is delighted by the rich variety of events on offer. She said: “This event is a wonderful opportunity to engage the public in all of the amazing research and to demonstrate how that research creates jobs as well as discoveries.”

Professor Ray Stallings, RCSI Director of Research, said: “Discover Research Dublin is part of a European wide initiative that is taking place simultaneously in cities all across Europe. The night is dedicated to popular science and fun learning and making research accessible to the general public.”

The events, all of which are open to the public, will take place between 5pm and 11pm, Friday, 26 September. Note that all events are free but they have different start and end times, and also note that some events require pre-registration. The RCSI events will be showcased in the O’Reilly Institute.