The INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork (UCC) hosted a Family Fun Science Fair on Saturday, 9th August 2025 at Fota Wildlife Park’s Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) which welcomed over 530 visitors across the day including children with CP, their families, carers, and the general public attending Fota Wildlife Park on the day.

The event was filled with fun, discovery, creativity, and education, with a special focus on Cerebral Palsy (CP) research from the ELEVATE Research Programme.

ELEVATE, led by INFANT at UCC is a five-year research programme that aims to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of early brain injury and cerebral palsy (CP) in Ireland. CP is the most common lifelong physical disability, it is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is caused by abnormal development or damage to parts of the brain. The severity of CP and the extent of the symptoms depend on both the extent of the damage or abnormalities and where they occur in the brain.

ELEVATE has been funded under the Research Ireland Strategic Partnership Programme, with co-funding partner The Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF). INFANT, UCC is partnered with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and all the tertiary-level maternity hospitals in Ireland.

The science fair gave families the opportunity to meet researchers, connect with others in the CP community, and learn more about the work being done through the ELEVATE Programme.

A Day Where Science Meets Exploration

From the moment the doors opened at 12pm, the ECRC was buzzing with excitement. Families took part in hands-on demonstrations and inclusive interactive exhibits, including:

🧬 CP Research & Awareness Zone – Showcasing ELEVATE research studies, sharing progress to date, and looking ahead to what’s next. Visitors enjoyed bite-sized talks from project leads explaining the background to the research and an overview of the programme. They also heard a powerful perspective from a parent of a child with CP, who is an active member of INFANT’s CP-focused Parent Advisory Group (CP PAG), highlighting the importance of lived experience in shaping research to improve outcomes.

🐾 Meet the Wild Scientists – Researchers involved in ELEVATE from UCC, TCD, and RCSI chatted to families about their work. The team included project and work package leads, PhD students, nurses, neurophysiologists, data scientists, engineers, physiotherapists, research fellows, research support staff, and others!

🤖 AI & the Brain – Our neurophysiologist demonstrated brain monitoring by analysing his own brain activity live on a portable EEG machine, highlighting our work in newborn brain monitoring. Visitors also enjoyed an interactive AI game where both they and a computer guessed animals based on various clues.

👀 Vision & Eye Monitoring Activities – Interactive games illustrated different visual experiences and how they can affect daily life.

🎨 Creative Learning Activities – Arts, crafts designed for all ages and areas to unwind took place in the chill out zone!

🧪 The Bloody Detective Workshop – Mini-sessions exploring what’s in your blood, why it’s important, and how it helps doctors make key medical decisions.

🧱 Bricks 4 Kidz Workshop – Bricks 4 Kidz hosted a hands-on STEM workshop using LEGO®, Technic, and Robotics to inspire building and problem-solving skills.

We were delighted to be joined by some of our collaborators including In4kids (HRB’s national children’s clinical trial network), Cork University Foundation (sharing giving opportunities to support research at UCC), and The Cerebral Palsy Foundation (co-funder of the ELEVATE Programme).This science fair forms part of ELEVATE’s Education and Public Engagement Programme.

 

“Events like this let us share our research in a way that’s fun, interactive, inclusive and accessible. It’s also a way for families to see the faces behind the research and for us to hear directly from the CP community. Engaging families throughout the research process has always been integral to our work at the INFANT Research Centre, and these events shows how important it really is.”

Prof. Geraldine Boylan, INFANT UCC Director

 

For more information on the ELEVATE programme, visit: https://www.infantcentre.ie/research/elevate/

 

Photography by Joleen Cronin