Awareness and debate

By working with our communities, we expect to increase awareness and enhance the level of informed debate in biomedical science issues.

Project Façade: Bringing the pioneering surgery of Sir Harold Gillies to a wider audience
In Project Façade, stories of soldiers from World War I who suffered facial injuries are told in a series of uniform sculptures based on their medical notes.
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Perspectives on science: A new AS level putting science in its human context
A new AS level, Perspectives on Science, gives school students the chance to explore historical, philosophical and ethical aspects of science - by pursuing a 6000-word research project of their choosing.
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Playing God: Theatre exploring cochlear implants
'Playing God', a deaf theatre performance that toured the UK playing to both deaf and hearing audiences, looked at a dilemma faced by parents of deaf babies: whether or not they should allow their child to have a cochlear implant, an electronic device inserted into the brain to help improve hearing.
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Melanin and issues of identity
The Colour Coded project worked with young black people from Handsworth to explore social issues surrounding skin colour and to produce short films and an educational DVD.
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Democs: enabling deliberation
The Democs game kits enable people to find out about topics such as genetic testing and nanotechnology, and then to debate and discuss the issues raised.
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Seeing beauty in truth
For more than a decade, the Biomedical Image Awards - now the Wellcome Image Awards - have showcased images of biomedical science
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Tales of a 1001 inventions
Professor Salim Al-Hassani and colleagues have developed an interactive exhibition on the contributions made to our civilisation by the Muslim legacy.
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Ex Memoria
Missing in Action Films produced a short film addressing the impact of Alzheimer's disease and dementia which has been distributed to care homes across the UK for training purposes.
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Signing Biotechnology
Professor Mary Bownes and Dr Jan Barfoot facilitated a project that developed 50 new signs to portray biotechnology concepts to Deaf people.
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Cafés Scientifique: venues for debate on science
Café Scientifique was the first and is now the largest worldwide network devoted to the discussion of science, technology and society.
Read full history [PDF 66KB]