Emma Yhnell

Hear more about Dr Yhnell's engagement work.

As a scientist, it is often all too easy to become stuck experimenting in the lab and forget the true importance of the work that you are doing.

The engagement events that I have been involved in have been great opportunities to interact with different members of the public. Whether you are showing school children how their brains work, talking to patients who are living with a disease or being interviewed on a television or radio programmes that reaches millions, engaging the public in the work that you do can be extremely refreshing.

What may seem like an everyday occurrence to you is new and exciting to the people who have not experienced it before. There is no better encouragement to continuing in your scientific research than being told that it is ‘cool’ by a child or being thanked by a patient who is living with the disease that you are researching.

I would highly recommend public engagement to scientists, whether you are an early career researcher or more established. It is never too late to get involved and there are plenty of opportunities out there. So go on, give it a go and get involved.