Jennifer won the Health Zone in March 2013, and won £500 to spend on her own science communication project. Let’s take a look at where the prize money has gone.

It seems like only yesterday that I was crowned winner of the Health Zone of I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! so I was shocked to realise that it has actually been over six months! Taking part in the event was so much fun and I’m very pleased to say that I gained a lot from it. I learned how to communicate my work and ideas to students and doing this really reminded me why I love my work and my Tissue Engineering research so much. I can honestly say that the whole event reignited my passion for science and has been such a positive experience that has lead to other exciting projects and developments in my career.

I thought long and hard about what to spend the prize money on. My initial thoughts were to design posters about my work and send them out to the schools that took part in the event. However, because of the fun I had during I’m a Scientist I decided to become a STEM ambassador and I have really enjoyed the interaction with school children. So instead, I decided to spend my winnings on a whole collection of science resources that I can take into schools!

I used the whole £500 of my winnings to buy a large variety of resources that are all connected with the human body and can suit a variety of levels, from early years to secondary. Dr Paxton’s Brilliant Body Box has items such as a model human torso, human heart model, Velcro skeleton, digestion game, inflatable body organs, microscope and microscope slides of body tissues, teeth and nutrition activities, breath volume kits and many, many more things! There is also a whole supply of activities to make learning about the human body fun!

I have planned an event with a local primary school to tie in with their teaching block on the human body so I am really looking forward to that. Also, I am relocating to Edinburgh in the New Year to take up a Lectureship in Anatomy so I hope to be able to continue my outreach activities in my new role. I am very keen to get children involved in learning about anatomy and the human body and as well as contacting local schools, I will have resources available on my website for teachers and children to use and to allow them to contact me about arranging school visits, or perhaps visits to the labs. I am very excited about inspiring the next generation of anatomists and Tissue Engineers and it would not have been possible without I’m a Scientist!