PRiME Partners with Let's Talk Science to Host Medical Innovation Discovery Day

On April 8, 2022, PRiME and Let's Talk Science hosted the first annual Medical Innovation and Discovery Day for over 30 grade-10 students from schools across Toronto. Expanding on PRiME's track record of developing training opportunities at the university level, the event aimed to provide interdisciplinary, hands-on learning to foster STEM engagement in high-school classrooms.

The event featured a career panel with PhD students Valerie Facca and Travis Douglas, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Wendy Wang, and Assistant Professor Dr. Omar Khan from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, who shared what inspired them to pursue biomedical research.

Hands-on activities introduced students to nanomedicines and drug-design technologies, letting them design their own nanomedicine and learn about medical imaging. A second activity explored DNA origami as a drug-delivery platform using household items. The event concluded with a Kahoot quiz and science prizes.

PRiME plans to develop outreach programming with Let's Talk Science annually, creating future in-class modules and virtual toolkits, with the hope of reaching students across underserved communities.