LifeLab reaches out across the city and University

They were impressed by its new facility on level D of Southampton General Hospital.

Council Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale says: “I was very impressed with both the research and the practical application of what can be achieved through LifeLab. The visit convinced me that we can truly impact on young people's long term health and educational performances.”

The LifeLab team is evaluating a programme teaching young people about healthy lifestyles and inspiring them to consider a career in science. Over recent months, 523 children from 19 schools, mainly in Southampton and Hampshire, have spent a day at the facility to take part in hands-on activities and meet professional scientists from PhD students to Professors. Although a variety of ages have been involved, the core programme is aimed at year 9 students (13-14 year olds).

Kath Woods-Townsend from LifeLab says feedback has been positive: “The teenagers love the chance to carry out the experiments themselves, they learn about nutrition and epigenetics, get to see their own DNA and much more. The young people enjoy meeting our scientists – some tell us they used to think science was boring and nerdy but the day changed the minds.”

Alongside a cluster randomised trial evaluating the impact of the LifeLab intervention, the team are also working with undergraduates from all disciplines through a Curriculum Innovation Module. Teams of students ranging from biological scientists to geographers and mathematicians research certain diseases, prepare sample lessons and teach teenagers about ‘their’ disease.

LifeLab is funded by the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre in nutrition, the University’s Education School and Faculty of Medicine and the Garfield Weston Foundation.