Between 15 and 26 July, Oxford Population Health hosted four Year 12 students as part of the department’s mission to inspire the next generation of scientists. One-week placements were offered for both Oxford Population Health’s school work experience and the In2STEM (formerly In2science) programmes during which students from Oxfordshire and Greater London were introduced to the wide variety of specialisms that contribute to the world-leading research conducted by the department.
Students taking part in the school work experience programme were introduced to perinatal and neonatal medicine through the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, and to the work of the China Kadoorie Biobank and the Mexico City Prospective Study. They visited the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, learning about the collection and analysis of diet-related data and the Applied Health Research Unit, learning about systematic reviews of health services. They also spent time with the RECOVERY trial team and with the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Officer discussing the importance of engaging and involving the public in research and flagship clinical trials, such as RECOVERY.
One of the school’s students remarked: ‘Population health is more than just science, it involves connecting with the public, conducting data analysis and many other things.’
By partnering with In2scienceUK, a charity focussing on social mobility to improve access to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers, the department is aiming to widen participation within higher education and empower young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and equip participants with the skills, knowledge and experiences to excel in STEM.
The Wolfson Laboratory and Communications teams welcomed the In2STEM student, throwing them in at the deep-end exploring how biomarkers are analysed in our facilities and gaining insight into the importance of communicating science ethically, through raising awareness of research and involving the public in its development.
The student said: ‘I only had online work experience before so I feel like this week has been much more effective as it has shown me all the possible areas you can work in within biomedicine.’
Sarah Clark, Research Fellow within the Wolfson Laboratory and Outreach Coordinator, commented: ‘It was pleasing to be able to give a student, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, an insight into laboratory methods for population health research. The student engaged well with the placement and it was a positive experience for members of the laboratory team too, who enjoyed sharing their knowledge and experiences.’
Oxford Population Health aims to engage, inform and inspire the next generation to involve everyone in its world-leading research. With this commitment, the department invites any interested Year 12 students to apply for its work experience placements. Students will have the opportunity to spend time with a variety of teams within the department and gain insight into various roles, such as an epidemiologist, researcher, health economist, and communications officer. Opportunities for next summer will be made available on the Work experience and internships page of this website.