BioQuarter Doors Open Day - 28 September 2024

Join us for a day of games, mock clinical trials, zebrafish VR, hands-on activities, science exhibits and tours!

Visit two of the newest buildings at the BioQuarter to have a snoop around and meet researchers from across the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

The Institute for Regeneration and Repair is a multi-disciplinary research institute. Our scientists and clinicians study tissue regeneration and repair to advance human health and reproductive outcomes. It was opened officially by the Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh in January 2024. The Usher Building is home to the Usher Institute and partners – working together with people, populations and data to understand and advance the health of individuals and populations through innovative collaborations in a global community. Construction was completed in summer 2024, with final touches to the fit out still in progress ahead of a formal opening to come in Spring 2025.

The two buildings are co-located as part of Edinburgh BioQuarter – a health innovation district where the University of Edinburgh works in partnership with the NHS and Scottish Enterprise to create a leading location for healthcare delivery, groundbreaking medical research and health innovation. Over the next decade BioQuarter will transition into a new mixed use, urban neighbourhood of Edinburgh, centred around a world leading community of health innovators and companies, grounded in our local community.

Guided tours in both Usher Building and IRR South, every hour:

• For Usher Building, tours will be on the hour: 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00
• For IRR South, tours will be on the half-hour, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30

No pre-booking required before the day. There will be a time-slot sign up sheet at each of the buildings for the guided tour. We recommend you sign up for a tour on arrival, and then attend the drop-in activities until your tour. 

Note: for the IRR North laboratory tour, there is a minimum age limit of 12. This is due to hazards in the laboratory and the University of Edinburgh policy.

How do I get there?

The easiest way to travel to the Edinburgh BioQuarter is by using local bus services.

• Bus Hub service routes: 33, 46, 48, 49, 400, 8, 24, 38, 21, X40, 7
• Little France Road (Old Dalkeith Road) bus stop service routes: 7, 33, 46, 48, X40

More information on local bus services can be found on the Lothian Buses website.

There is limited parking available (as shown on the map) on Little France Drive, east of the IRR North building. Please note this car park is locked at 4pm.

Accessibility

If you have further accessibility needs, such as being a blue badge holder, we do have limited disabled bay parking available. Please let us know how we can assist your accessibility needs by emailing the IRR Communications team at IRR-Comms@ed.ac.uk.