Más de 1.500 personas participan en el evento SCI-DATES “Citas con los investigadores” de ISABIAL
The Alicante Health and Biomedical Research Institute organizes two days of scientific outreach at Espacio Séneca as part of the European MedNight GTS project
Alicante (01.10.22). The Alicante Health and Biomedical Research Institute (ISABIAL) has brought together more than 1,500 people at the SCI‑DATES “Dates with Researchers” event, where high‑quality research carried out in the city of Alicante has been showcased. People of all ages attended during September 29 and 30 at Espacio Séneca in Alicante (former bus station). The event is part of the European project Mediterranean Night of Researchers Goes To School (MEDNIGHT GTS ).
Aware of the need to make science accessible to citizens of all backgrounds, and that scientific outreach is the perfect tool to achieve this, the consortium formed by nine entities representing research and scientific dissemination in the Valencian Community and the Region of Murcia has organized a large number of activities in different Mediterranean locations to bring knowledge closer to society. ISABIAL carried out the SCI‑DATES “Dates with Researchers” activity in the heart of the city of Alicante.
The Institute has organized two days of free, open‑access scientific outreach activities aimed at bringing society closer to the work carried out day by day by healthcare professionals who conduct research at the Alicante Health Department – Doctor Balmis General Hospital, with the aim of improving health and generating knowledge. Researchers from Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the University of Alicante (UA) have also taken part.
The event, which had the collaboration of the Department of Culture, took place in Alicante on September 29 and 30 at Espacio Séneca, with an exhibition on health research that offered a tour of the five major scientific areas of ISABIAL and the work carried out by the 43 research groups that make it up. The public had the opportunity to learn about the main lines of health research being carried out in Alicante.
At the same time, ISABIAL launched the workshops “Put Yourself in Their Shoes” from the Alicante Innovation Simulation Laboratory (SimIA), which received all groups in the morning and offered educational workshops. Specifically, students from Leonardo Da Vinci School and Immaculada School attended. These workshops were also available with free access to the general public on Friday afternoon.
On Thursday afternoon, citizens also had the opportunity to learn about the ISABIAL Research Support Platforms, which prepared participatory workshops to bring their work closer to the public. Attendees learned about the work carried out at the Biobank, Preventive Medicine–Epidemiology, Pathological Anatomy, Microbiology, Clinical Analysis, and Genetics. The allergy research group also took part in one of the activities.
On Friday, on the occasion of the Mediterranean Night of Researchers, the day began with SimIA workshops for educational centers, followed by the official opening of the event, which was enlivened by the doctor and pianist Francisco Cholbi.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Regional Minister of Universal Health Care and Public Health, Miguel Mínguez; the Regional Councillor for Culture of the Alicante City Council, Antonio Joaquín Manresa; as well as the Managing Director of the Alicante Health Department – Doctor Balmis General Hospital, Miguel Ángel García; the Vice‑Rector for Research of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), Domingo Orozco; and the Vice‑Rector for Research of the University of Alicante, Juan Mora, among others.
The central SCI‑DATES “Dates with Researchers” event was held on Friday, September 30, in the afternoon. Throughout the afternoon, researchers shared their work with the public and answered questions about the role played by research in addressing major health‑related issues, such as how medicines work, pain, cancer, physical exercise, death, and ageing, among others. ISABIAL has more than 600 researchers. The day concluded with a concert in Plaza Séneca.
MEDNIGHT GTS is a project associated with the European Union’s “European Researchers’ Night” initiative, funded by the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions, under call identifier HORIZON‑MSCA‑2022‑CITIZENS‑01 (MSCA and Citizens 2022).