Four inspire with forensic fun

Science

Four young research scientists from the University of Adelaide are hoping their example - and a bit of crime show-inspired forensic fun - will encourage rural high school students to take up a career in science.

PhD students Kelly Bailey, Cadence Minge, Tamara Cooper and postdoctoral research officer Dr Thomas Ohnesorg toured high schools in the Riverland, Barossa and Clare Valley last month as part of the Australian Society for Medical Research's education outreach program.

Schools became forensic laboratories for a day and pupils conducted their own 'Who done it?' using DNA from a simulated crime scene. The researchers also talked about their day-to-day work as research scientists, applying for university courses and student life.

For Tamara Cooper, co-ordinator of the road show, the tour took her back to her own old high school at Riverton. Tamara is pursuing her PhD at CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, developing new technologies for looking at protein interactions involved in the action of therapeutic drugs.

Before the tour, she said she was looking forward to talking to school students about the transition from a country school to university.

Kelly Bailey is also working with proteins at CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies. "Now I have been to University, I can see that science teachers are often restricted by the curriculum which can make it hard to create exciting lessons," she said. "The outreach program is a chance to not only give students an exciting alternative to normal classes, but to motivate them to want to learn more."

Thomas Ohnesorg comes from Munich, Germany and is researching ovarian follicular development and function within the University's Research Centre for Reproductive Health. He gave school students an international perspective on research in South Australia.

Cadence Minge is researching a possible link between excess bodyweight and impaired female reproductive potential, also within the Research Centre for Reproductive Health. She told students: "Every day I am able to contribute to human knowledge of cell biology without which we would not be able to help those of us who have diseases or are unwell because of problems in the way our cells work."

Story by Robyn Mills