A night to raise awareness of science
Top-notch scientists invite the public to participate in Researchers’ Night 2013 in Barcelona, Girona and Lleida.
By Biocat
More than 300 European cities will simultaneously celebrate another edition of Researchers’ Night on 27 September, with hundreds of free activities to show society the contributions of researchers and learn and delve deeper into scientific topics through fun, entertaining activities. The European Commission kicked off this initiative in 2005 and it has since gained popularity with good public turnout. The Catalan cities participating are Barcelona, Girona and Lleida.
In Barcelona, the program of activities is organized by BIOcomuniCA'T and the Doctor Robert Foundation-UAB with collaboration from the "la Caixa" Foundation, Biocat, Genzyme, Minoryx Therapeutics, the National Genome Analysis Center (CNAG), the Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (Ciberer), the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (Idibell), the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), and the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), among others. As it is the Year of Minority Diseases, Researchers’ Night in Barcelona will focus on this topic. Rare diseases affect one in 2,000 people (more than 400,000 in Catalonia).
All of the activities will be held at CosmoCaixa, from 5 pm to 9 pm, and will include top-notch researchers. We recommend the panel discussion Research and pharmaceutical companies, at 7 pm with Dr. Fernando Royo, president of the Genzyme Foundation; Dr. Salvador Martí, of the Ciberer Biobank; Dr. Manel Esteller, director of the Idibell Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program; and Dr. Fàtima Bosch, director of the CBATEG-UAB Center for Animal Biotechnology and Gene Therapy. Biologist and Biocat Head of Research and Scientific Debate Laia Arnal will moderate the panel.
Researchers’ Night in Girona, led by the University of Girona Scientific Culture and Digital Communication Chair, will be held at Casa de Cultura from 5 pm to 9 pm with talks, experiments, workshops, exhibits and drawing contests.
In Lleida, the event will be held at the new Biomedical Research Institute facilities. Anyone interested is invited on a guided tour, prior registration required, and to talks with the center’s researchers on the ageing brain, what we look like inside, and what living beings do.