Family-friendly event to celebrate past, present and future healthcare innovations

Organised in partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sheffield, the ‘Shaping the Future: Celebrating the Past, Present & Future of Health Research in Sheffield and Beyond’ event will demonstrate how Sheffield clinical teams and researchers past, present and future have played an integral role in healthcare advances.

The free to attend event is taking place as part of the NHS’ ongoing 75th birthday celebrations in conjunction with the annual National Institute for Health and Care Research ‘Be Part of Research’ campaign, and will include a wide range of interactive demonstrations, activities and exhibits.

People of all ages will be invited to have a look at how medical equipment works, try their hand at taking part in a mock clinical trial to understand how researchers determine if a new treatment will be safe and effective, explore how we hear and how sounds are heard when people have hearing loss, and even see how infectious diseases spread through ‘Vomiting Violet’.

In addition, participants will be able to make their own invention or technology to help the health of children and young people, measure out fake blood to test their lab skills, and make their own neuron to understand how diseases that affect the brain may be treated.

An exhibition of the contribution Sheffield scientists and researchers are making to advances in care will also highlight leading medical research that is already being used in the hope of transforming care. This includes the use of zebrafish to combat human disease, how DNA can resist damage from chemotherapy and how detailed images of the heart are being powered by artificial intelligence to improve future heart disease care.

Professor Simon Heller, director of Research and Development at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:“Research and innovation has played a key role in advancing healthcare since the NHS was founded 75 years ago. This event aims to be a fun, engaging way for people of all ages to take part in hands-on activities and find out more about how clinical health and care works. We also hope that the many exhibits and demonstrations on offer will help the next generation of researchers.”

Cyper Allan, Primary Care Sheffield, research lead nurse said:“Sheffield has a fantastic reputation for research which plays a huge role in improving care and helping people to live healthier and happier lives. It is something we should all be proud of and I hope that people will take this opportunity to find out more about the work that is being done by researchers in hospitals, community hubs, GP practices, and other primary care organisations.”

Following on from the one-day event there will be a week-long research photographic/imaging exhibition in the Winter Gardens, running from Saturday, July 22 to Saturday, July 29.