Public Engagement - MRC Biostatistics Unit
Overview
Public engagement is a crucial part of the Unit's mission. We take part in a variety of activities which showcase the breadth of our research and communicate the importance of biostatistics in public health.
Festivals and science outreach events
We are regular exhibitors at the Cambridge Festival, Big Biology Day and Eager Explorers where we have hands-on, family friendly activities which focus on the theme of 'fun with statistics' while also communicating some of the key elements of our research such as precision medicine and causation.
Schools engagement
Inspiring the next generation of researchers is a key objective for our public engagement strategy, with particular emphasis on giving young people from low income households access to STEM. We engage with school students through a variety of activities including hosting and supervising work experience students and participating in school science days.
I had the opportunity to undertake a 2-week work experience placement at the MRC Biostatistics Unit in August 2026. With the support of my excellent supervisor, I learnt how to use the programming language "R", to run simulations for oncology trials and create plots. I additionally had the chance to learn about different trial methods, such as the 3+3 method, CRM and TITE-CRM, and had the opportunity to write a paper summarising my trials using different methods, and to also make plots with the data produced to compare them. Overall, my time at the Unit was very enjoyable, and I would certainly recommend doing a placement here!
– Year 12 school student from Peterborough
The experience and skills I gained from my work experience placement at the MRC Biostatistics Unit was invaluable. I am deeply thankful for the confidence I developed during the process. My supervisor and the team were extremely supportive as I navigated researching and learning how to use statistical software. I was emboldened to give a speech at the celebration event from the confidence I gained during my time at the BSU.
– Year 12 school student from Hertfordshire
In June 2025, we took part in the Cambridge Biomedical Campus School Safari, where we hosted a class of Year 5 students from a local school and engaged them through a carousel of interactive activities and a tour of the Unit.
Read more: Inspiring the next generation of researchers starts with opportunities like these
News and media coverage
We write about and explain some of the fantastic research and achievements of our researchers. Read our latest news
We also provide expert comment for news articles in the national press. Find out how to get in touch with us
Meet our researchers
We have made a series of video interviews which introduce some of the researchers and PhD students at our Unit. Meet Our Researchers
Follow us on social media
We regularly post on our social media accounts. Follow us to keep up to date with our research and activities.
