The IRR hosted a fast-paced, fun, and inspiring hour of science that brought people together from across the institute - and beyond - to celebrate the inspiring work happening within its walls. Flash talk winner Karl Baldacchino for sharing his research on multiple sclerosis using zebrafish The first ‘IRR Research in a Flash’ event offered a series of nine rapid-fire, five-minute presentations covering the breadth of research happening within IRR. Over 60 people attended, including IRR staff (researchers and non-researchers), students, and 16 high school interns from the BioQuarter summer internship programme. The event achieved what it set out to do: make science accessible, engaging, and fun for everyone in the room.The speakers included PhD students (Lucy Doyle, Karl Baldacchino, Kacper Drukarczyk, Erin Watson), postdocs (Ferran Nadal Bufi, Marie Zechner), group leaders (Beth Mills) and facility specialists (Justyna Cholewa, John Sutherland). Each delivered a snapshot of their work, simplifying complex research into bite-sized insights. Postdoctoral researcher Marie Zechner, PhD student Kacper Drukarczyk, Group Leader Beth Mills and facility specialist John Sutherland (from left to right) Midway through the event, attendees enjoyed an interactive quiz that tested their knowledge on the Edinburgh BioQuarter and high-school science facts. The winner walked away with a goodie bag filled with treats!The audience voted Karl Baldacchino, PhD student in the Williams Lab, their favourite flash talk, for being the most engaging and easy to understand. His presentation was on his research on multiple sclerosis using zebrafish. These fish are tiny and some of them are transparent which allow researchers to remarkably watch cells move and divide in the brain over time, and Karl showed a striking time-lapse video of this cell activity.The event wrapped up with a 30-minute pizza lunch and informal mingling session, offering attendees a chance to connect, share ideas, and continue conversations sparked by the flash talks.It was fantastic to see such a diverse audience come together to learn about IRR’s great research and the people that help support it. Vibes are lovely and I see a lot of colleagues who might not usually attend full-on seminars but came today to hear about colleagues’ science. Speakers have been great too! Member of IRR It was really interesting and informative! Summer Intern This event was a chance to showcase research, share real-life experiences, connect with colleagues and inspire future scientists. We hope to host another of these events later this year. Tags CIR CRH CRM Publication date 04 Jul, 2025
