Pupils at a primary school in Romsley got a glimpse into the world of medical research recently thanks to UHB.

Scientists and nurses from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) visited St Kenelm’s Church of England Primary School with demonstrations about how science plays a role in everybody’s health.

The visit involved the Health Research Bus, a mobile research facility which has the capacity to take blood and tissue samples, as well take scans and other measurements.

The pupils were given spectacular demonstrations of different chemical reactions which affect their bodies and were able to test their lung capacity and their grip strength, as well as seeing how blood is separated and tested using a centrifuge.

Other demonstrations showed how food is digested and the way oxygen acts as an energy source.

St Kenelm’s Headteacher Jane Woakes said it was great to be able to bring practical demonstrations of science into the school: “Science is taught here as a practical activity as much as possible, and being able to measure their own bodies and see how things work is so important.

“The children loved seeing and experiencing the ways science can be used to understand how our bodies work. We hope events like this spark their interest in science and help them develop the skills, attitudes and concepts of enquiry and investigation."

Joanne Plumb, QEHB’s Head of Operations for Research and Development, was delighted with the response from the pupils: “It was great to see the children enjoying and getting involved in the science demonstrations.

“The Health Research Bus is a really important facility for us, because it means we can get into the community with our research. That includes events like this, where we can encourage an interest in science and we can also promote clinical research at UHB.”