The Milner team enjoyed an institute visit with a difference last week, as we welcomed a group of children for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Patient Day. The day — organised by Milner collaborator Dr Matthias Zilbauer and the Wellcome MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute — invited patients and families to discuss IBD as part of their commitment to give patients a voice in research. The day included lots of fun science-related activities for the children, including Play-Doh cells in petri dishes and pipette practice! We were delighted to take part, taking the group on a tour of our labs before they settled down to lunch.
Dr Zilbauer said, “It was great to see our patients interacting with each other whilst experiencing a real taste of science. It was also extremely rewarding to hear so many positive comments from their parents, e.g. that this a unique and indeed first opportunity for them to meet other parents of children suffering from IBD. They found the exchange of experience hugely valuable and in many ways reassuring/comforting.”
Read more about the Patient Engagement Day on the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute’s website, and learn more about how the Milner Institute collaborates with Dr Zilbauer’s Group here.
Practicing pipetting at Patient Day. Photo credit: Seb Tucknott
Research Nurse Claire Clemas and one of the young attendees of the Patient Day event, and an insert of the booklet. Photo credit: Seb Tucknott and Jen Rose