Credit: Philadelphia Science Festival
The
Philadelphia Science Festival kicks off on April 21
st and Penn Medicine will again play a leading role in the seventh annual city-wide event that highlights science and technology from the entire region. The Festival offers more than 80 events in nine days at diverse locations across the region, including restaurants and brewpubs, parks, libraries, and museums, along with a second year for the Carnival at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing.
“The Philadelphia Science Festival highlights the amazing breadth and depth of STEM work being performed in Philadelphia, and it brings that work out of the lab and literally into the streets for everyone to experience,” said Marion Leary, MPH, MSN, RN, director of Innovation Research at the Center for Resuscitation Science. “I look forward to participating every year – interacting with individuals and families, and inspiring the next generation of Philly-born STEM professionals.” Her goal is to improve outcomes from cardiac arrest by incorporating technology and innovation strategies into the work that is performed in the life-saving area of resuscitation science. At festival events Leary and her colleagues will use a manikin equipped with an immersive VR wearable device in which they put individuals into the system and observe how they respond to a 3-minute emergency scenario.
Robin Armstrong, lab manager for the department of Neurosurgery and administrative coordinator for the Center for Brain Injury and Repair (CBIR) and her crew of CBIR staff, students, postdocs, and faculty will again be involved in many of the week’s activities. Janet McMaster, Outpatient Practice Coordinator for the Trauma Program at Penn Presbyterian, will be part of Murder at the Mutter, at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia to teach how she works with medical examiners. “Our focus is always on caring for the patient, and saving lives, but we are also cognizant of preserving evidence,” she explained in a recent Penn Medicine News blog.
The Festival, from April 21 - 29, is a partnership of over than 200 of the area’s STEM organizations to deliver hands-on science education to the community. Penn Medicine will again be represented by several tents in the “Penn village” of displays, which includes Penn Vet, Dental, and other schools at the Carnival and Clark Park Discovery Day, as well as many evening and after-school events.
Here’s a complete list of Penn Medicine’s involvement:
Science After Hours: Prom
Friday, April 21, 07:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Franklin Institute
This event is 21+. $20; $15 for Franklin Institute members
Kick off the Philadelphia Science Festival with a prom, the ultimate revenge of the nerds. The Center for Brain Injury and Repair, students from Biomedical Graduate Studies programs, and the Center for Resuscitation Science will be there to make science the king and queen of the evening.
Science in the Park: Clark Park
Saturday, April 22, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Clark Park
4301 Chester Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Free
This is the sixth time that Penn Medicine has participated in this hyper-local event. Meet area scientists and students while exploring one of the most beautiful parks in the city. The Center for Brain Injury and Repair, the Penn Biomedical Postdoctoral Council, and many students from the Biomedical Graduate Studies programs will be there to share hands-on activities.
Be a Scientist Sunday: Be an 18th and 19th Century Doctor!
Sunday, April 23, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Pennsylvania Hospital
800 Spruce St. – Enter at the Archway on 8th Street
Free
Travel back in time at Pennsylvania Hospital’s historic Pine Building and explore just how much has changed (or stayed the same) throughout American medical history. Visit the original surgical amphitheater, where surgeries took place before the development of anesthetics and sanitation standards and take a tour of the Physic Garden to learn about herbal medicine.
Fishtown Science Crawl
Sunday, April 23, 2:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m.
Start at Frankford Hall
1210 Frankford Avenue
Reservation required
Free, $5.00 Happy Hour Wrist Band
Raise a pint in the name of science during the Fishtown Science Crawl! Enjoy great drink specials at awesome Fishtown venues and engage in hands-on science activities with the Center for Brain Injury and Repair and other science and health educators.
Murder at the Mutter: Hooked
Sunday, April 23, 2:30 p.m to 5:00 p.m.
Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
19 South 22nd Street
Reservations required
Forensics meets fun in a murder mystery party at the Mutter Museum. Analyze evidence alongside real forensics experts Join a trauma nurse from Penn Presbyterian to learn how evidence is prepared for the medical examiner.
Neighborhood Science After School
Monday to Thursday, April 24 to 27, 3:00 p.m.
This event features experts from the Center for Brain Injury and Repair. Join our brain scientists at neighborhood libraries after school for a celebration of science exploration. Scientists, engineers, and other experts share their knowledge to provide programs filled with exciting activities, animal encounters, family-friendly experiments, and hands-on demonstrations.
Sensory Overload
Tuesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Yards Brewing Company
901 North Delaware Avenue
Reservation required, $20, 21+
Complex reactions overflow when we stimulate the senses. Join neuroscience postdoc Nathan Fried and other sensory scientists for an exploration of sensory overload, each paired with a different Yards brew.
Science in the National Park
Thursday, April 27, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
1 North Independence Mall West
Free
Connect history and science at the Independence National Historical Park for a day of activities geared to an elementary school audience. The Center for Brain Injury and Repair
will share “Why Should You Mind Your Brain?”
Life on Mars
Thursday, April 27, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Ruba Club Studios
416 Green Street
Reservation required
$5 presale; $10 at the door
Will we see the first humans on Mars in our lifetimes? What does all this Mars chatter really mean? Professor of Psychiatry David Dinges, PhD, will join The Franklin Institute's Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts for a series of fast-paced and engaging flash talks exploring the topic of the mysterious red planet, what we know, and what we may find in the future.
Science Carnival: Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing
Saturday, April 29, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m.
Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing
101 Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Free
The Carnival features more than 175 exhibitors offering family-friendly experiments, interactive activities, games, and a packed line-up of live entertainment, with many Penn Medicine staff participating.