Outreach

The European Consortium for Communicating Gene and Cell Therapy Information (EuroGCT), https://www.eurogct.org/about-eurogct  is associated partner within GetRadi. The aim of EuroGCT is to provide understandable and accurate information about the use of cells and genetic material to treat disease. EuroGCT sources are available to general public, patients and healthcare professionals as well as to researchers. 

Following projects were completed by GetRadi students with guidance of EuroGCT:

1) Glossary of terms about gene and cell therapy https://www.eurogct.org/glossary/A . The fellows have developed a glossary of terms, aiming for understandable and accessible language. This task was completed between first and second GetRadi summer school.

2) FAQ on gene and cell therapies which focuses on safety and risks. The FAQ is expected to be developed and published on EuroGCT website in 2025. 

Each GetRadi student should engage in hands-on experiments (if possible) with schoolchildren. So far, three students participated in such events:

DC1 Matilde Vale:

In 2023 and 2024, Matilde participated in Prague Science Fair. Together with colleagues from IMG and CCP, they engaged school children in exciting hands-on activities to spark their interest in science. Children participated in interactive experiences such as learning how to use a pipette and building a model cell with various organelles. They were also introduced to a hands-on demonstration of the central dogma of molecular biology—DNA, RNA, and proteins—to improve their understanding on how genetic information is translated into cellular function.

DC3 Maryam Taghdiri:

In summer 2024, Maryam visited a local school in Freiburg together with her colleague and gave a presentation on genetic editing to cure disorders. The students were highly engaged, actively participating and asking many questions during the Q&A session. Relatable analogies, such as comparing genes to recipes, along with visuals and a video clip, helped them understand the material more effectively.

DC4 Aleksander Nowak:

In April 2024, as a part of the Bestil en Forsker (eng. Book a Scientist) program, during the Danish Science Festival 2024 initiative, Aleksander gave lectures about genetic engineering at two high schools, in Herning and Holbæk, respectively. The purpose of the talks was to engage, educate and entertain the young pupils about the basics of molecular biology, biochemistry, and medicinal biotechnology, shedding some historical background and updating the audience about modern state-of-the-art achievements in gene therapeutics, as well as providing perspective on how daily professional work life as a researcher in life sciences in academia looks like. The lecture engaged the audience, the pupils asked questions, and the topic seemed to be very interesting and up to date for the young generation.