Public engagement

SMQB is dedicated to public engagement and greatly values the involvement of the public and people with lived experience within our research.

We have a dedicated team of AMIGOs, “Advisory Members Involvement, Guidance and Outreach" group, who volunteer their time to provide advice and feedback on our research projects. We are also honoured to have Artists in Residence who collaborate with our Seedcorn projects. A group of diverse artists with different creative expertise collaborate with scientists to transform and interpret science into art, which is showcased at the end of the project.

Through John Terry’s funding from the EPSRC as an ICT Public Engagement Champion, SMQB is proud to deliver a programme of activities through which we aim to equip diverse young people across Birmingham with digital skills confidence and inspire a greater interest in the real-world application of ICT in healthcare-related challenges. We are focused on developing interactive workshops and other engagement activities for diverse and minority students aged 11-16, which will be available in 2024. If you would like to get involved or collaborate on our ICT workshops, please contact our Public Engagement Officer.

Check out some SMQB Engagement

Encoded Realities Exhibition

 

Watch the video about our 2024 exhibition. 12 artists, 49 scientists, 1 exhibition which brought it all to life!

Purple Day

Every year, SMQB celebrates Epilepsy Awareness Day or “Purple Day” On 26th March. We’ve hosted seizure first aid sessions, invited the public to hear our latest research on epilepsy , and learn about the condition from people with lived experience, we’ve even had Old Joe turn purple!

Look out for our upcoming #PurpleDay events in person and on social media!

CoCoMAD Festival

SMQB brought science to the masses at CoCoMAD festival in Cotteridge Park. With fun activities and inspiring demos, children of all ages got to delve into the world of an SMQB researcher for the day.

Allies in Advocacy

We brought together mathematicians, computer scientists, and AMIGOs, to understand what does allyship mean for our communities, identify what are the barriers and facilitators for developing allyship, and learn how can storytelling help us achieve common goals in advocacy that ultimately transform people’s lives.

Supported by Research England funding, Dr Eder Zavala and Dr Caroline Gillett organised the two-day residential where Day 1 focused on joint training to better understand each other’s perspectives, practical sessions on science communication and public engagement planning. Day 2 put these newly acquired skills and ideas into action as mixed teams co-wrote a script and co-directed videos explaining key quantitative approaches and how they can be applied to different health conditions. You can watch the co-created videos here.

Get Involved

We are building a research environment within which members of the public and people with lived experience of disease can contribute meaningfully and ensure that their voice is heard. If you are interested, there are lots of ways for you to become involved!

We are looking to build a team of lay experts who will work with our students, researchers and project teams to ensure the relevance of their work to society, and help identify emerging projects we should support. We are excited to build links with charities and other outreach organisation to bring our work to communities in relevant and exciting ways. 

If you would like to get involved or have any other enquiries regarding Public Engagement, please contact our Public Engagement Officer.

Public Engagement Officer

Follow Us on Social Media (@SMQB_UoB)