HudsonAlpha’s fall research seminars continued with Louisa A. Stark, PhD, who spoke about her education and community engagement efforts. Stark is a professor in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Utah.
Stark talked about the efforts of her and her team at the Genetic Science Learning Center, specifically an 8-week unit for high school students called DNA and the Unity of Life. The unit aims to achieve the goals of the latest science standards, which include mastery of core ideas, understanding scientific practice and thinking about problems productively.
The other half of Stark’s seminar covered efforts to connect the community to research through a tool called Engagement Studios. These studios invite community members to come have open conversations with researchers, improving the relevance of research to everyday lives and guiding researchers to create protocol that makes sense to potential subjects.
These educational efforts, for both the general public and the workforce of tomorrow, pave the way for a more genomically literate society.
This seminar was hosted by Neil Lamb, PhD.
More information on HudsonAlpha Research Seminars, including the upcoming schedule, can be found at hudsonalpha.org/seminars.