Institute of Researchers in Schools Launch at the Science Museum

This Thursday was a whirlwind of a day! Had a french exam and straight after I rushed over to the Science Museum where I had the opportunity to represent the Young Scientists Journal at the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) launch - what a day! I honestly feel like I'm living two lives like Hannah Montana! ;)

So what's IRIS all about?

IRIS is all about getting young scientists (as young as 12 year olds or even younger!) engaged and involved with scientific research! IRIS is a charitable trust that helps supports school students and teachers with getting more research into schools. Check out what research related projects are out there for you/your students here.

What's the Young Scientists Journal?

The Young Scientists Journal is the first peer reviewed journal, edited and written by 12-20 year olds from across the globe! There are a group of adult mentors, the International Advisory Board that supports the journal and is led by the founder of the Journal, Christina Astin.

The Journal publishes original research carried out by young scientists and other articles are published on their blogs, the website and news outlets.

If you're aged 12-20 years old and have carried out some research of your own then why not publish your work in the Young Scientists Journal! Find out more info here.

How did I get involved with the Journal?

When I was 17, I applied for a Nuffield Science Placement and luckily, I was fortunate to get a placement with the Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre at Imperial College London! This was the most exciting thing to have happened to me in my life so far and I was SO excited to get my hands stuck into some original research work! I carried out some work on the effects of different sized cancer cell drug molecules on cancer cell growth. This research work then went on to be displayed at the Big Bang Fair in 2013 where I entered the National Science and Engineering Competition and met Prof. Brian Cox! I was also awarded the Highly Commended Prize in the Senior Science and Maths category. So all in all, it was an amazing experience that I'll never forget and I hope other young scientists can experience too - so why not enter your research work into the National Science and Engineering Competition here. Good luck! :) 

So once the hectic-ness of the Competition died down I received a leaflet through the post that was all about a chance to publish my research work in the Young Scientists Journal - how could I say no?! So I had to condense my 24 page report down to four pages for the Journal! This was the first time I had ever written a scientific report before for original research so it took a bit of time but I finally got there. A few months later and my work got published in the Journal - this honestly made me cry, it was the first time I had achieved something as grand as this outside of school and coming from a state school I honestly became a celebrity at my school and so many young students knew my name and would come and speak to me when I was walking from class to class. Some even expressed the fact that I was a huge inspiration for them and that I showed them that they could achieve something regardless of the fact that they came from a state school - another tear-inducing moment!

So, I became an author of the Journal and now that I am out of the age-range to still be an author I have recently been promoted to a more senior position and am now part of the International Advisory Board after being spotted by Christina Astin on Twitter! I now work to check the scientific accuracy of the articles submitted to the Journal, act as an Ambassador and help promote it and encourage other students to get involved.

Find out more about the Nuffield placement here, more about the Big Bang Fair here and here's my research work in the Young Scientists Journal here (p. 42). 

Little Meriame working in a biochemistry lab in the Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre, Imperial College London

Met Greg Foot and Liz Bonnin at the Big Bang Fair whilst I was getting my award #LifeEqualsMade 

What was I doing at the Science Museum?

As part of IRIS Launch, the Young Scientists Journal was invited to hold a stand at the event to raise awareness of the Journal so that all those young scientists doing research in schools can have a place to show off their work! As an ambassador for the Journal I was invited by Christina to promote the Journal at the event and I was buzzing with excitement! #ExcitementOverload

Here's what went on at the Science Museum in pictures - enjoy! :)

Christina Astin (founder of YSJournal) and I at the YSJournal stand in the Information Age Gallery in the Science Museum

Christina and Rose Meddings, an A Level student that is involved with the work of YSJournal was also there at the stand promoting the Journal and just being a great, inspiring Ambassador! It was great to meet her! :)

After a quick set up of the stand it was time to enter the IMAX theatre for the talks and the launch of IRIS! WOOO! :D

We were greeted by a wonderful choir #SoPosh

The talks were held in the IMAX theatre which is 24.3m by 16.8m large!

Dr. Becky Parker hosted the event and is the Head of Physics at the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys and Director of the Langton Star Centre. One of the projects to have come out of the Centre was the Langton Ultimate Cosmic Ray Intensity Detector (LUCID). 

Dr. Parker was so enthusiastic about IRIS which I loved and it was certainly contagious! She wants all schools to have the opportunity for their students to partake in research. Woop! Woop!

Next up in the line up of talks was Lord Martin Rees - leading astrophysicist and senior figure in UK Science! He mentioned that when he was young he would tinker with radios and do his own experimenting by taking apart and reassembling it. He also believed that the young ones of today should also have the freedom of experimenting on their own and testing their ideas rather than being restricted to the syllabus.

Lord Rees is an Astronomer Royal and Past President of the Royal Society.

He was one of the first people to predict the uneven distribution of matter in the Universe and his most influential work concentrated on the so-called cosmic dark ages.

There were so many people at the event and it was so nice to see everyone support young research! #SchoolResearchers

Dame Mary Archer, chair of the trustees of the National Science Museum Group spoke a few words about the new launchpad that has been built at the Science Museum with a new Maths section - go check it out!

Dame Archer, spoke about her first research experience at 10 years old where she tied an earthworm into a knot to see if it could un-tie itself! Unfortunately it couldn't. :( She believed that all young people should have the opportunity to test those why? questions that they ask.

Dr. Becky Parker in the promo video for IRIS :) #WomenInSTEM

Cal Hewitt, an A Level student - talking about his project with Medipix detector from CERN. He was honestly such a great speaker that I thought I was at a TED talk! I got to meet him afterwards and we spoke about the YSJournal and he'll be submitting his article soon! #Awesomeness #MyWorkHereIsDone ;)

Cal leads the LUCID experiment where he uses the Medipix detector (CERN Technology) to study radiation in space.

TimPix, a detector that can be used to measure different types of radiation. School students can access the Timepix detector on the ISS to carry out experiments with a chance to do their own experiments too with the TimPix project. Why not get involved!

Here, are some young researchers talking about their research work carried out with Queen Mary University. 

A young researcher working on dark matter! #WomenInPhysics

At age 15, Krtin Nithy developed a new way too diagnose Alzheimers! #WhatALegend #MindBlown #SchoolResearchers 

Krtin's project led him to win the Scientific American Innovator Award from Google! 

Professor Danielle George, Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering at the University of Manchester or who may know her as the 'Queen of tinkering' and presenter of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2014 (Sparks will fly: How to hack your home) was also there! Was so amazing to actually see her and be in the same room as her because I looked up to her so much in the #xmaslectures ! 

Prof. George also expressed her love for tinkering and asking why. 

The IRIS launch couldn't have been complete without an astronaut! #Awesomeness 

Professor Steve Rose (a professor of plasma physics at Imperial College - his office was opposite my office in my recent summer placement!), chair of trustees also spoke at the event.

Prof. Rose thanked all those that are part of IRIS and have made it possible.  The talks then came to an end and it was my time to shine at the YSJournal stand!

Here's Christina networking and getting others to join in with the Journal

Our myriad of leaflets and journals ready for all the visitors to take home!

Loving repping YSJournal at the Science Museum! #Awesomeness 

Had so much fun promoting YSJournal and talking to all the lovely young scientists, professors, dames and all the people interested and passionate about getting more research into schools - something close to my heart and something that blossomed my journey into research.

So lovely to see so many keen young scientists - it totally reminded me of when I was their age and I was buzzing for the next scientific step I was going to take. #Reminiscing 

What a place to have the IRIS launch and to have so many buzzing, scientific minds - it was AWESOME!

My supervisor for the Pop-O-Matic project (see earlier posts) was also there and happened to meet my mother who had worked with the CERN at School detector and was invited to the event - I cannot tell you how much it felt like parents evening when my supervisor was complimenting my work to my mother! #FeelingLikeASchoolKid

The #PopOMatic also came up in conversation because of the power of Twitter and other social media platforms - so glad to hear such positive feedback from the #PopOMatic users (my supervisor had used it earlier that day! And it was a success with not only the students but the teachers too! #MissionComplete)

I had an absolutely great time at the Science Museum and found so many people I knew from the Plasma Group I'm working with at Imperial but I also met some very inspirational young scientists!

This post has come to an end and here are some last few words from me - for all you young scientists out there, including those from state schools, don't be afraid to ask why and let your curiosity lead you to amazing places! Get you hands stuck into some research and I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do! Since my first research experience at 17, I have loved research ever since and I am now thinking of doing a PhD! That young research experience has remained in my blood and is something I will never forget - so why not catch the research bug too and see what you can discover! Happy researching! :)