Public engagement workshops

Summary of recent public engagement activities and forthcoming events

Broadening understanding and inspiring others

Communicating research to as broad an audience as possible is core part of any modern researcher's duties. Creating opportunities to inspire, to enthuse and to share with our surrounding communities brings great rewards.  Whilst it can teach us how to effectively engage with non-scientific groups and can often inform our current research, it can both empower audiences as they learn more about their own brains as well as ignite sparks in others to explore and to question. Sometimes, it's just plain fun!

Edinburgh Neuroscience supports researchers to provide interactive workshops for school children. See below for

  • Examples of interactive workshops
  • Links to upcoming events
  • Link to our bank of equipment that staff can borrow for their events.

Recent workshops

Brains in the Making: Shaping How We See Epilepsy

Martyna Stasiak wrote, designed and delivered this workshop which combined art and neuroscience. Six classes of S1 pupils (approx. 180 12 year-olds) at Castlebrae Community Campus, Edinburgh, made their own brains out of Play-Doh plasticine. Whilst formulating the brain stem all the way through the subcortical regions into the main lobes, they learned about how the brain works and how it relates to epilepsy. We are told it quickly became the talk of the school corridors; everyone wanted to go!

Martyna's workshop was funded by Brain Awareness Week founders, the Dana Foundation (via Federation of European Neuroscience Societies - FENS). 

Two tutors in front of a classroom of children with visual display screens
Classroom and teacher

Brain Blocks: your brain is your superpower

Dr Rana Fetit, a postoc in Anna Williams' lab, delivered a series of workshops at Danderhall Primary School and Little Muslims children's group. She had an amazing time inspiring young minds - and being inspired -  by helping them learn about: 

  • different parts of the brain and their functions
  • what our brains are made up of
  • how we study them it in our labs
  • how to keep it healthy as we grow

One four-year-old said, "neurons are like trees with roots and branches that talk!" 

Learn about Rana's inspiration for developing workshops for children and igniting those sparks of interest in her blog post, 'Turning "why?" into Wonder'.

Montagne Lab visit Stockbridge Primary School

Nela, Dorota, Conor, and Axel from the Montagne lab visited P4 students at Stockbridge Primary and delivered an interactive session to offer a glimpse of the lab's work. The students learned about different parts of the brain by colouring and assembling their own 'brain hats,' crafted neurons out of colourful pipe cleaners, and even conducted a real-life experiment by making baking soda and vinegar volcanoes! 

To read more about this session and the work of the Montagne Lab, please visit the lab's website.

scientists with children in classroom setting

Related content

Upcoming events

Event date
May 21 2026 -

Euan MacDonald Centre Spring Academic Afternoon 2026

This event is a great chance to connect with colleagues, spark new collaborations, and share ideas in a relaxed, friendly setting. Whether you’re a lab scientist, technician, clinician, nurse, clinical researcher, psychologist, funder, or simply interested in MND research, come along.

2026 Public Further information
Jun 10 2026 -

Open Evening at The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic

Come along to this unique clinic that unites patients, University researchers as well as NHS doctors and nurses to improve our understanding of degenerative diseases such as MS. Find out how they work together to advance drug discovery, patient care and the search for cures. Free to attend, no booking required - just turn up!

2026 Public Further information
Jul 07 2026 -

Drop-in Activity: Brain Lab

Run by the Montagne Lab, this FREE public engagement workshop will explore how the brain works, what it’s made of, and how it changes in conditions such as dementia. Come and join in a series of fun, hands-on activities!

2026 Public Further information

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