IRR Researchers at Edinburgh Science Festival 2026

Events led by Lucy Doyle, Marcin Maniak, and David Baird engaged audiences of all ages, combining storytelling, hands-on experiments, and expert talks to explore curiosity-driven discovery, the immune system and transplantation through time.

Once Upon a Lab

A lively workshop at the National Museum of Scotland brought science to life for children aged 5 - 7 through storytelling and experimentation. Led by IRR Postdoctoral Researcher and author Lucy Doyle, who created the featured storybook in collaboration with local illustrator Kelly Zou, the sessions blended creative storytelling with interactive learning.

Children read the story ‘Maeve’s First Science Experiment!’ aloud, acted out key scenes, and made predictions as they followed Maeve’s scientific adventures. The children watched fizzing chaos unfold as they recreated Maeve’s bubbling experiment and tried their own colourful and messy reactions.

Supported by a team of volunteers, the workshop fostered curiosity, creativity, and teamwork while introducing core scientific thinking. Parents and carers also gained practical ideas for supporting STEM learning at home, reinforcing the message that science begins with curiosity, experimentation, and learning from mistakes.

  • Kelly holding 2 conical flasks and Lucy with both arms up in front of a screen
  • Two boys at a table putting liquid into a test tube that's overflowing with foam
  • Lucy holding a giant conical flask with bright orange liquid inside that's smoking
  • Tables with children sat at, listening to instructions
  • A group photo of all 3 workshop deliverers

Body Defenders: The Germ-Fighting Game!

Another hands-on workshop developed by IRR PhD student Marcin Maniak invited children to step into the role of scientists, investigating how immune cells stick, squeeze, and slurp their way to defeat infections.

Through a series of interactive stations, children examined cell behaviour using real microscope footage, tested how different materials affect cell movement, and modelled how immune cells engulf microbes using play dough. Each participant received a ‘science passport’ to record observations and collect stamps as they progressed, ending in a fun quiz to discover which immune cell type they were most like.

Supported by a team of volunteers (Alicia Perez Lezcano, Ballagh Forsyth, Jane Wright and Lucy Doyle), the workshop combined creativity with scientific learning, helping children better understand the invisible processes that keep our bodies healthy.  

Leading the workshop was a fantastic opportunity to see my research through the eyes of such an inquisitive young audience.

I was impressed by the kids' intuitive hypotheses and loved seeing their enthusiasm captured in the creative observations and drawings they made in their 'Immune Mission Passports'! 

Marcin Maniak IRR PhD student

The workshop was supported by the British Society for Immunology and the Biochemical Society. 

  • Two girls looking and smiling at a test tube that's bubbling over
  • A boy looking down a microscope with another boy at his side and a voluneer helping in the background
  • A girl holding a tube with small silver and red beads inside
  • Two boys looking at a screen, engaged
  • A group photo of 4 workshop deliverers and 6 children smiling and some holding their passports up

Transplantation through time

An evening lecture at the Bayes Centre, University of Edinburgh, organised and hosted by IRR Group Leader Dr David Baird, highlighted the city’s pioneering contributions to transplantation and its ongoing impact on future patient care.

Bringing together transplant surgeons, clinicians, and researchers, the event offered an accessible overview of how organ donation and transplantation work today, the challenges still facing patients and healthcare teams, and emerging approaches that could help more people in the years ahead.

Presentations ranged from historical developments in transplantation to cutting-edge research, including a creative explanation of cell staining techniques by IRR PhD student Tilly Mason, using a ‘Where’s Wally?’ analogy. The event showcased the strength of Edinburgh’s collaborative research community and its continued leadership in advancing transplant science and medicine.

I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Edinburgh Science Festival. Alongside a fantastic group of colleagues, we delivered an event exploring transplantation, from its history and current challenges to where the field is heading next.

It was great to see such an engaged and curious audience, and one of the biggest takeaways for me was the importance of allowing enough time for questions and discussion, as people are genuinely keen to be involved.

Dr David Baird IRR Group Leader

Speakers included: David Baird, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the IRR and Honorary Renal Consultant; Neil Turner, Professor of Nephrology Emeritus and author of the “History of Nephrology” blog; Lorna Marson, Professor of Transplant Surgery, Honorary Consultant Transplant Surgeon, Head of Deanery for Clinical Sciences and past president of the British Transplant Society; Ms Tilly Mason, IRR PhD student; and Dr Euan Bright, Registrar in Transplant Surgery and IRR PhD student. 

  • David Baird presenting
  • Tilly Mason at the front of the room presenting with the photo being taken at the back of the room, with backs of heads in shot
  • Lorna Marson presenting in front of a screen of fundraising photos
  • Photo of all 5 speakers

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