Funding secured for two LifeLab research projects
Kathryn Woods-Townsend was successful in securing funding in two separate bids, from the Public Engagement with Research Unit funding call. The projects will run from November 2017 until July 2018.
Idea Jamming with Teenagers
The project is inspired by Pokémon Go, Snapchat, and fitness apps and will work with game designers to make an own game for smartphones to help teenagers exercise more and eat right. To design the right kind of game which will be appealing to teenagers, the project team will hold a series of “idea jams”. In an energy packed non-threatening environment, teenagers will have opportunities to work with game design students and experts. The jams will give them a chance to have their ideas heard, to come up with new concepts and to be able to shape the design of the final digital product.
Engaging with parents of the future about the offer of genetic screening before pregnancy
The project engages young people with research carried out by Southampton’s Faculty of Medicine. Together with LifeLab we explore how young people think about a new genetic test that makes it possible for couples considering parenthood to know whether their future baby has an increased chance of having a serious genetic disease. Students from a sixth form college will be asked to critically analyse a decision-aid for this preconception carrier screening (PCS) test and debate the ethical and societal implications of offering such a test in healthcare. In doing so we aim to stimulate critical thinking and explore effective ways of engaging with lay audiences about the issues surrounding genetic risks.
The project will be piloted with one sixth form college. The opportunity to engage in this project will be advertised to local sixth form colleges. Historically we have found that during the ‘Meet the Scientist’ sessions, the teachers are very engaged in the topics discussed and so we will hold a teacher information evening with short talks on the various aspects of this project and discuss the links with and opportunities for interactive teaching. In doing this, this meeting will give us an opportunity to ensure that our project meets the curriculum needs of the teachers and offers them new ideas for teaching difficult aspects of the curriculum.
To stay up to date with these and other projects visit the LifeLab blog: https://www.efolio.soton.ac.uk/blog/lifelab/posts/