Communicating complicated science concepts through video

The Institute for Genetics and Cancer recently hosted colleagues from across the University of Edinburgh and Helmholtz Munich for the annual EpiCrossBorders Symposium

EpiCrossBorders is a collaborative PhD programme between researchers in Munich and Edinburgh covering a broad range of topics linked to bio and biomedical sciences.

As part of a week-long science communication workshop, the group of 25 researchers were asked to create short videos explaining a specific science concept aimed at children aged around 12 years old.

They spent the week building their skills in story boarding, filmmaking, teamworking and public engagement, and learning how to communicate complex science concepts in this way.

These ranged from explaining clonal haematopoiesis and hepatocytes to talking about the story of DNA and how fish can be used in research.

The videos were then judged by a group of children aged between 10-14, drafted from the IGC community.

This is the first time we have created science communication videos for young people. The aim was to get them excited about research and one of the best forms of communication is through film. It will hopefully encourage some of the young people to become scientists in the future and help educate them about science.

You can watch one of the winning videos below.