Queen’s University student Emer Maguire has been crowned winner of the Northern Ireland heat of the FameLab competition.
The global science communication competition saw the 23-year-old battle it out against eight other science stars at Belfast’s Black Box. Emer will now go forward to the UK final.
Organised by British Council Northern Ireland, in partnership with the Cheltenham Science Festival and the inaugural Northern Ireland Science Festival, FameLab Northern Ireland helps scientists acquire valuable skills to communicate their work to a non-scientific audience and the media.
Emer, who is studying for a Masters in Clinical Anatomy, based her presentation on the science of kissing and discussed immune systems, saliva and chemical cocktails.
Emer said: “I’m still in shock.
I can’t believe I’ve actually won, but I’m absolutely delighted and can’t wait to see where FameLab takes me. It has been an unbelievable, but really enjoyable experience.”
Emer, who also works as a speech and language therapist, had never really thought about a career in science communication until entering the competition.
She said: “FameLab has definitely made me think about my future. As a speech and language therapist, communication is vital; so I would love to be able to combine this and my Masters to make science more accessible and something everyone can experience. FameLab has given me the confidence to do this.”
Emer, who will head to the FameLab UK final in April, will also take part in a two-day communication masterclass.
Jonathan Stewart, who is deputy director at British Council Northern Ireland, said: “Competitions such as FameLab help to engage the public in science and challenge perceptions.
“Through FameLab we can encourage a more STEM literate society and engage young people in international science opportunities, while also giving scientists and engineers the opportunity to engage with the public and develop their career with thousands of like-minded scientists around the world.”