Science, a Pint, and a Naked Mole Rat on the Moon

At this year’s festival, audiences gathered in cozy venues like St. Louis Café to hear about everything from astrophysics to animal biology, all over a good drink. The great talks of the evening on the topic "Doctor Who? Cell aging, brain research and our biological age" came from Paulina López Carrasco, Aishwarya Acharya & Joachim Steiner.

Paulina is a CECAD PhD student with a talent for turning complex research into a captivating story, from the laboratory of Dr. Jane Reznick. Her subject? The naked mole rat and its bizarre superpower of surviving without oxygen.

“I presented on the second evening at St. Louis Café, a place I really like,” Paulina said. “That made me feel a bit more comfortable with the space, even though I was still nervous.”

Although her PhD focuses on how naked mole rats use glycogen in the brain, she chose to expand her talk to a broader look at their strange biology and unique metabolism. “People are always fascinated by this animal, so I wanted the talk to feel more like a story than just a list of facts. I used visuals and illustrations that I love, including one of a naked mole rat chilling on the moon to represent survival in extreme conditions. I’m also into scientific art, so it was great to bring that into the presentation.”

The talk lasted around 12 minutes, but for Paulina, the Q&A was the highlight. “The audience was incredibly curious. Some of their questions made me think of angles I hadn’t explored. It was amazing to connect with people and see that spark of interest. One person told me afterward that my passion really came through, especially when I spoke about brain biology. That meant a lot to me.”

Paulina had attended Pint of Science the previous year and decided to volunteer this time. “It looked fun, but I knew it would also be a challenge. I practiced with friends outside academia to make sure the message came across clearly without oversimplifying.” She sees public engagement as a core part of scientific work. “I’ve always believed that science belongs to everyone, and this was a great way to share it in a setting that felt warm and authentic.”

Curious about the next Pint of Science in Cologne? Want to grab a drink and hear something fascinating?
Check out upcoming events here: pintofscience.de/events/cologne

Media Contact:

Paulina López Carrasco
CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research
+49 221 478 84141
plopezca[at]uni-koeln.de

Press and Communications Team:

Dr. Tanio Calabrese
+49 221 478 84044
g.calabrese[at]uni-koeln.de

Photo Credits: © Tanio Calabrese