As a learning community, we’re passionate about sharing knowledge – with our students, with one another and with the wider world.
We think that biochemistry is relevant to everyone because it answers questions that are fundamental to every human life. Why are we alive? How long will I live? Why am I sick? What does it mean to be healthy? So we’re working to make our research more accessible and compelling, engaging people who might not normally be interested in science as well as inspiring the next generation of biochemists.
From graduate students to professors, every part of our community gets involved in finding opportunities to explain our work - whether it’s on a large scale, like TV and radio programmes or science festivals around the country, or more informal local events like museum workshops, Meetup groups and pub talks.
Several of our researchers are also STEM Ambassadors, which gives them the chance to work with schools and show young people what a future in the sciences can look like. Ambassadors get involved with a variety of projects, from helping in after-school STEM clubs and giving careers talks to hosting work experience students in our department labs.
We also take part in wider University of Oxford initiatives such as the UNIQ Summer School and Oxford Pathways, which are designed to make higher education more accessible for state school students, and have produced a whole range of talks and lectures aimed at encouraging girls and women to participate and excel in science.
