School students in Far North Queensland accessed some of the State’s brightest scientific minds with a visit from QIMR Berghofer researchers.
The researchers travelled to Thursday Island, Bamaga in Cape York and Cairns as part of the QIMR Berghofer Regional Education Program which aims to deliver science to children across Queensland, while demonstrating and encouraging pathways to careers in medical research.
Dr Nigel Waterhouse, Dr Ellie Paige and Andrew Laskary joined the education team on the northern outreach, the first leg of the ongoing program which traverses the state.
Dr Whitehouse said: “The students were just amazing and they inspired us as much as we hoped to inspire them. They were really engaged and jumped straight on the microscopes and asked in-depth questions about what we were presenting.”
QIMR Berghofer Education Co-ordinator Dr Manuel Serrano Santos said the program was designed specifically for children in regional Queensland in consultation with the Department of Education.
Jude Di Giacomo from the Northern Peninsula Area State College said the visit opened the eyes of many students, particularly those with a natural flair for science.
“It’s not often a team of renowned scientists in their field working at an amazing institute in Brisbane travel all this way. How the research was presented to the students was just outstanding,” she said.
The QIMR Berghofer team visited Tagai State College, Bamaga’s Northern Peninsula Area State College, Trinity Bay State High School and Bentley Park College.
