Pembrokeshire College A-level Biology students recently attended an engaging ‘Science Live’ conference in London.
The students engaged with talks from: Professor Alice Roberts on ‘Tamed’, our evolving relationship with animals; Dr Adam Rutherford on our genetic ancestry, royal family trees and genetic mutations, and explaining how King Richard III remains were identified; and Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore on the workings of and potential of the Teenage Brain.
There were also fascinating Q&A sessions with a pioneering figure in IVF treatment, Professor Winston on Gene Editing in Humans, and Professor Jonathon Van Tam on his time as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the UK Government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biology lecturer, Kate Bassett-Jones commented: “The conference was a fantastic experience for the students; they had direct access to world-class scientists and came away inspired and motivated about their future career plans. London is always a fun experience, and it was great to watch some of them experience it for the first time.”
The students enjoyed a balance of academic engagement and team bonding which included a brief walking tour of some London landmarks and an evening’s entertainment of dinner in Covent Garden followed by the Lion King show at the Lyceum Theatre.
The A-level Biology department are looking forward to organising more local day trips where students will get the opportunity to learn from those at the top of their industry field.
Find out more about our A-level Biology course.