IIS La Fe and the European Commission bring hospital science to Picanya for European Researchers’ Night
- Around 80 researchers from IIS La Fe will take part in a programme that will also feature teams from the Research Foundation of the General University Hospital of Valencia and healthcare professionals from Picanya Health Centre.
- On 24 and 25 September, the inHos Science Fair will offer workshops, experiments and short talks for schoolchildren, families and the general public
- The event is part of inHos, the first Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions project for citizens coordinated by a hospital, led by IIS La Fe and funded by Horizon Europe.
The La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe) and the European Commission will bring European Researchers’ Night to Picanya on 24 and 25 September. Held across Europe on the last Friday of September each year, the initiative aims to bring research closer to the public and introduce people to those who make scientific progress possible.
Around 80 researchers will travel to this town in l’Horta Sud to take part in the inHos Science Fair. The programme will also involve researchers from the Research Foundation of the General University Hospital of Valencia (FIHGUV) and healthcare professionals from Picanya Health Centre.
Although European Researchers’ Night will take place on Friday, 25 September, activities will begin on Thursday, 24 September with a programme for schools, which will continue on Friday morning. That afternoon, the fair will open to families and the general public, offering six interactive areas and a session of short talks.
Primary and secondary school pupils will be able to take part in workshops on blood cells, DNA, brain health, biobanks, microbiology, antimicrobial resistance, cancer, drug development, data analysis and artificial intelligence. FIHGUV researchers will lead an activity on cancer research in which pupils will learn how to identify tumour cells and assess different therapeutic strategies through a simulation.
The programme for schools will also include “EU Corner: European science, local impact”, an area where pupils can learn how the European Union promotes scientific collaboration, funds research projects and supports researchers’ professional development.
More than 80 professionals will be reaching out to the public on September 24 and 25 at ERN2026 Science Fair.
On Friday, 25 September, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., families and members of the general public will be able to take part free of charge in six interactive activities focusing on health and biomedical research. One of them, entitled “Science in the consultation room: small steps to protect your health”, will be led by healthcare professionals from Picanya Health Centre. Participants will learn how vaccines and antibiotics work, find out how cardiovascular risk is assessed, and practise correct handwashing and wound care techniques.
The other activities will allow participants to follow the journey of a biopsy sample through to its examination under a microscope, practise cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques, identify potential sources of exposure to endocrine disruptors, learn how the effects of radiation are studied and explore the use of artificial intelligence in medical imaging. At 8 p.m., “Science Takes the Stage” will begin, featuring a series of short talks on thrombosis, fertility, scientific misinformation, immunotherapy, mental health, radiation, emerging fungi and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The science fair is part of inHos, the first Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Citizens (MSCA and Citizens) project coordinated by a European hospital. Led by IIS La Fe and funded by Horizon Europe, the project aims to show that hospitals are not only places where patients receive care, but also environments where research, innovation and knowledge generation contribute to improving health.
Picanya was chosen as part of the project’s aim to take this European event beyond major cities and bring it to a municipality in l’Horta Sud affected by the 2024 floods. The initiative will provide opportunities for direct interaction between the public, researchers and healthcare professionals.
The inHos project was selected by the European Commission with the highest possible score and has received €349,217 in funding to deliver a two-year programme of public engagement, science education and citizen participation focused on hospital-based research.
