On Friday the 16th of May, we were thrilled to welcome over 50 families and friends of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences (CDBS) to our very first Family & Friends Day. It was a fantastic opportunity for our guests to explore the exciting research happening across the centre, meet the people behind the science, and enjoy a relaxed day of discovery and community.
The day began with a warm welcome from Sam Booker, who gave an overview of the plan of the day, and shared a few key safety details. Guests were then divided into small groups and, with the help of our volunteers, set off on guided tours around the building.
There were various stops of demonstrations during the tour. Each stop on the tour offered a hands-on glimpse into the wide range of research taking place at CDBS. Raven Hickson, from the behavioural team, introduced visitors to firstly to wild rat behaviours, which led to our Habitat setup – a specialised housing system that allows rats to engage in natural, spontaneous behaviours. Visitors were even invited to make their own rat enrichment using everyday objects such as cardboard tubes and tissue boxes.
In our electrophysiology lab, Max Wilson and Darren Walsh walked groups through how we measure electrical activity in cells and tissues, using state-of-the-art equipment to investigate how neurons communicate.
At the IMPACT (Image Analysis, Multi-Photon and Confocal Technologies) facility, Adrian Garcia Burgos showcased the cutting-edge imaging tools researchers use to visualise cells and tissues in exquisite detail – a crucial step in understanding the brain’s structure and function.
Meanwhile, Robin Beaven shared fascinating work involving invertebrate models, and Calvin offered a closer look at how we use human cell models in neuroscience research. His team creates cerebral organoids from stem cells, and they can be combined to make assembloids.
Our tour concluded with a captivating introduction to whole-brain imaging, led by Cristina Martinez Gonzalez and Kirsty Craigie, who demonstrated how we can visualise the entire brain at once in unprecedented detail, instead of a limited region at a time.
Throughout the day, guests also had the chance to visit exhibition stalls hosted by Edinburgh Neuroscience, Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB), and Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre, where volunteers chat about ongoing projects, hand out merchandise, and answer questions.
We ended the day with food and drinks in the sunshine. Staff and visitors gathered in George Square Gardens to enjoy pizza, refreshments, and a variety of outdoor games – a lovely chance to relax, connect, and celebrate the day together.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us – and to all the volunteers and organisers who made the day such a success. We can’t wait to welcome you back again!
