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Day of short talks puts University of York research in the spotlight

York Talks puts University research in the spotlight

Posted on 11 January 2018

More than 700 people attended a day of inspirational short talks outlining some of the world-leading research taking place at the University of York.

Members of the public, academics and students attended a day of free, 15-minute talks showcasing the University’s innovative research.

The annual event, which is open to everyone, saw researchers give talks on topics including the dangers of drone warfare, digital technologies to improve healthcare, replacing fossil fuels with sunlight and seawater, the complexities of the fight against cancer and how fire could be used to help conserve the savannahs of Africa.

Sixteen short talks were grouped together in sessions of four, followed by a Q&A. Attendees could opt to attend a single session or all four.

PhD students also took part in a ‘Research Spotlight’ exhibition displaying their work, and were on hand to answer questions during programme breaks.

A judging panel awarded prizes to Claire McGinn for her work on Estonian music; Rebecca Hall for her exploration of how insects’ helpful microbes may prevent deadly disease; and Jill Simpson for her research on how different people engage with and draw meaning from data visualisation.

Joan Concannon, Director of External Relations at the University of York, said: “This year’s talks were packed with outstanding, world-class research that aims to tackle some of the biggest global challenges.

“We think it’s really important to make the exciting research happening at York accessible and available to a general audience and this was a brilliant way for the wider community to engage with our academics and young researchers and learn more about their work.”

York Talks has been held annually since 2014.