All the fun of the fair at Cardiff MRC Festival

MRC Centres across the UK and in parts of Africa celebrated the third MRC Festival of Medical Research from 14-24 June 2018.

In Cardiff, at the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetic and Genomics (MRC CNGG), we pride ourselves on holding inspiring, unique and captivating events to mark the festival and this year was no exception.

Our most ambitious event to date, our MRC Science Fair on 20 June, brought together our brilliant researchers with funfair amusements, pizza and a little bit of magic.

We were thrilled to welcome more than 80 guests to the DEPOT for the evening, where they had a chance to learn about the various areas of research taking place at the MRC CNGG based at Cardiff University.

These conversations were sparked over adapted funfair amusements intended to explain the research in a fun and intriguing format.

Hook-a-duck, or in our case Hook-two-parent-ducks, explained our likelihood of inheriting certain traits. Play Your Genetic Cards Right demonstrated how environment and genetic factors can have a positive or negative affect on us and how we develop. A coconut shy mimicked a sequence of our genome and explained how missing or deleted genes can cause or contribute to neurological conditions.

The ECHO Study team based at MRC CNGG used their Kick the Risk game to show the randomness of changes to our genetic code and explain how the changes can result in us developing different mental health problems.

As well as games we hosted short and snappy talks in the Speakeasy. We were thrilled Dr Lynsey Hall, Dr Katie Lewis, Dr Xavier Caseras and Dr James Hrastelj could join us to discuss genetics, the genetics of sleep, neuroimaging, and research into multiple sclerosis respectively.

We’d like to thank Ffwrnes for providing a constant flow of pizza slices to our guests and magician Adam James Reeves who blew everyone away with his close-up magic.

To see more photos from the Science Fair visit our Facebook page.