Category: College Events

Scaling Science: Learn from Imperial’s Entrepreneur Elite (23 April 2025)

You’re invited to an exclusive gathering of scientific minds and market disruptors on Tuesday, 23rd April 2025. In collaboration with Giant Ventures, we’re bringing together some of Imperial’s most groundbreaking entrepreneurs for an evening that promises to inspire your own research-to-market venture building journey.

Featured Speakers Who’ve Walked Your Path:

Enjoy a thought-provoking fireside chat featuring Professor Terry Rudolph – who transformed his Imperial quantum physics research into PsiQuantum, now a $6 billion Silicon Valley powerhouse. This candid discussion will focus on the practical journey from lab to market – including challenges of transitioning from academia to startups, building world-class teams, and translating complex science into viable businesses.

The conversation will be led by Georgia Ritter of Giant Ventures, an accomplished podcast host featured in Esquire & GQ.

Panel Discussion on Scaling Science-Driven Ventures:

Following the fireside chat, join us for a dynamic panel discussion chaired by Jia Lin Yong, Investor at Giant Ventures and former Chief of Staff at Babylon Health.

The panel will feature early and growth-stage founders, including:

  • Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch – Founder & CEO of Impli, whose innovative implantable biosensors for at-home hormone monitoring recently secured a partnership with pharmaceutical giant Bayer
  • Glen Gowers – Co-founder of Basecamp Research, who has raised over £65m since 2020 building what’s being called the “GPT of biology” – the world’s largest AI-driven biodiversity database

Why This Matters to Your Research Career:

Rather than diving into technical specifics, this event focuses on the human and practical aspects of turning research into real-world impact. You’ll gain valuable insights on navigating the founder journey, building teams, raising investment and creating high-impact ventures.

Expect bold ideas, candid stories, and tangible advice on scaling science-driven ventures.

Following the panel, join our curated networking session where you’ll connect with potential collaborators, investors specifically interested in early-stage deep tech, and fellow researchers who’ve successfully commercialized their work.

📅 Date: 23 April 2025
⏰ Time: From 5 PM
📍 Location: Imperial College London

Spaces are limited—secure your spot now!

REGISTER

Neurodiversity Week (05-09 May 2025)

Join us for Neurodiversity Week (5-9 May), a week of celebrations of neurodiversity across Imperial. Hosted by the Faculty of Natural Sciences but open to all staff and students, the week includes talks, games, panel discussions and community events focused on inclusion, lived experience and practical strategies for supporting neurodivergent people in STEM.

Highlights include a keynote by theoretical physicist Professor Heather Logan on navigating academia as an autistic person, a hands-on puzzle challenge to explore alternative forms of learning from Imperial’s Playful Learning Group, a student-staff Q&A panel on thriving at Imperial, and a Neurodiversity Café with stalls, refreshments and space to connect.

Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself, an ally, or just curious to learn more, all are welcome. You can view the full programme of events for the week and register for them here

Inclusivity in the field: workshopping challenges & solutions – Department of Life Sciences (30 April 2025)

Join us for a workshop exploring the barriers to inclusive fieldwork and practical strategies to overcome them. Open to Imperial and external university staff and PGR students across the life sciences, ecology, geosciences, and beyond.

🗓️ Morning: World café discussion on key inclusivity challenges
🗣️ Afternoon: 10-minute presentations from attendees sharing experiences and best practice

We welcome diverse voices, disciplines, and fieldwork contexts — from local day trips to international residentials, teaching and research alike. We are also looking for a range of presenters so if you’d like to share your experiences then please sign-up to present!

📍Booking and details here: https://outlook.office365.com/book/LifeSciencesCommunityEventsBookings@ImperialLondon.onmicrosoft.com/s/XDA5xBOUOk6YFZ1pYyX_qg2

Human and Artificial Intelligence School of Convergence Science

Co-creation workshops for the Human and Artificial Intelligence School of Convergence Science

These workshops will bring together ideas from across the university to identify key research themes and explore emerging trends in AI. Through interactive activities and discussions, we will collaborate to shape the development of the School of Human and Artificial Intelligence while fostering a strong, connected community. Each session will also include dedicated networking time, offering attendees the chance to connect and share insights with one another.

Registration: To register for these workshops, please complete the following MS Forms survey: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=B3WJK4zudUWDC0-CZ8PTB0xvPFptAaNDj-inLWxSBthUQ1paSldPOTUyUVU2QjJWTzJHWVBSNllLTy4u&route=shorturl

Further information will be provided upon registration. There are only 30 spots available for these events. Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Secure your spot before they fill up.

  • Workshop 1 – Interfacing with intelligence – Date: Thu 3 April, 9-12pm – Location: White City (I-Hub, I-X, Level 6, LTR 608)
  • Workshop 2 – Augmented Intelligence for future society and wellbeing – Date: Thu 3, April 2.30-5.30pm – Location: White City (I-Hub, I-X, Level 6, LTR 608)
  • Workshop 3 – Embodied intelligence – Date: Fri 4 April, 9-12pm – Location: South Kensington (SKEM 315)
  • Workshop 4 – Science of Intelligence – Fri 4 April, 1-4pm – Location: South Kensington (Room 315, Huxley)

IX-WAI Women in Science Career Day 2025

Join us at our very first Women in Science Career Day on Wednesday 11 June 2025 at the White City Campus! Whether you are interested in academia, industry, or launching your own startup, our Career Day offers something for everyone. Through three streams of workshops and panel discussions, you will have the opportunity to connect with leading researchers, partner companies, and emerging start-ups.

Why Attend?

  • Tailored Workshops: Participate in three streams of workshops focused on career development, including topics like funding your research, exploring industry careers, and building your personal brand.
  • Networking Opportunities: Engage with top researchers, professionals from leading companies, and start-up founders.
  • Hands-on Learning & Expert Insights: Gain valuable skills and knowledge, and learn from successful women in STEM who have been where you are and can guide you on your journey.

Who Is This Event For?

This event is designed mainly for PhD students and early career researchers, but anyone with a passion for STEM and a curiosity about the diverse career paths available is very welcome! Whether you are considering a career in academia, industry, or even launching your own start-up, join us to connect, learn, and explore the diverse career paths!

Find out more about the day and register here.

Join the 3Rs-Hub Advisory Group – Let’s Make a Difference Together!

I’m excited to reach out to you as the newly appointed PhD student representative for the 3Rs-Hub Advisory Group at Imperial College London. As you may know, the 3Rs-Hub is dedicated to promoting the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) in animal research, and our mission is to create a collaborative environment where researchers like you can engage in discussions, share ideas, and work together to advance more ethical and efficient practices in animal research.

Whether your PhD involves animal work, or you are exploring alternative models and systems that can help reduce or replace animal testing, the 3Rs-Hub is a fantastic group for you to get involved in. We are building a community of like-minded students who are passionate about driving change, and we’d love for you to be part of this initiative.

Throughout the year, we will be hosting a range of informative events and networking opportunities aimed at fostering collaboration and furthering the application of the 3Rs principles in research. These events are not only an excellent chance to learn from experts but also a great way to socialize and connect with fellow researchers in the field.

If you are interested in joining the 3Rs-Hub community and contributing to this important work, please contact me at mm720@ic.ac.uk . We look forward to hearing from you and hope you’ll consider being part of this exciting initiative!

Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you at our upcoming events.

Best regards,


Michael Manolakakis
PhD Student Representative, 3Rs-Hub Advisory Group (https://3rshub.imperial.ac.uk/)
Imperial College London
mm720@ic.ac.uk

The Good Science Project Animated Film Project for PhD Students & Post-Docs (Jan-July 2025)

The Good Science Project is excited to announce an animated film project, and warmly invites PhD students and post-doctoral staff to join. If you are keen to extend your science communication skills, or wonder whether you can use art to illuminate your research, this project may be for you.

We will be working with two animators, artists-in-residence for The Good Science Project, Litza Jansz and Esther Neslen. Our interest is in daily science, in other words the ordinary practice that makes up such a large part of research, but is so little described. In our animation project you will learn animation skills, such as Rotoscope, and you also will learn to think about your research in new ways. This really is innovative science communication.

We will meet once a month, on Wednesday afternoons, with lunch included. The first meeting is Wednesday 29th January, in the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication. You can get details of all the workshops, here.

No great artistic skill is required. More, it is your ability to stand back from your work, and consider new perspectives, that will make the difference.

If you would like to know more, or wish to join, please email Dr Webster, director of The Good Science Project, directly (stephen.webster@imperial.ac.uk)