© Christian Wittke, MedizinFotoKöln
© MedizinFotoKöln
Junior researcher Arundhati Chowdhury was crowned the winner of this year’s 2024 Science Slam hosted by the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne. Her humorous yet insightful presentation, "How are KVB train cancellations similar to the development of kidney cancer?", particularly impressed the audience and received the highest score.
For the fifth time, the Office for Academic Development and Equal Opportunity at the Medical Faculty, led by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elke Kalbe, honored the best performance at the Science Slam. The grand finale of the Scientific Career Days took place once again at the industrial-style venue of Gebäude 9 in Cologne-Deutz. In a packed hall of nearly 250 attendees, six very diverse research topics were showcased, providing the audience with the chance to engage in discussions after each presentation and cast their votes. The choice was far from easy, given the breadth of fascinating contributions.
The topics ranged from innovative strategies in Parkinson’s disease ("Soccer in the Brain – Why Cognition is True Teamwork," by Daniel Scharfenberg), to "Exercise Against Cancer: Gangsters and Mafia" (Michael Mendes Wefelnberg), and novel approaches to cancer treatment with Albert Einstein and Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen as mentors (Sepher Arbabi).
Three of the presentations were delivered in English, including the winning talk by Arundhati Chowdhury. Other English contributions included "Stress and the Brain: The Lab Rat’s Guide to Modern Life" (Alisa Bakhareva) and "Can Metals Be Used in Skin Expansion?" (Nourhan Hassan).
The evening was hosted by Andreas Maier, who highlighted the fantastic atmosphere typical of Cologne and praised the enthusiastic applause for all participants.
At the Science Slam, early-career scientists present their research projects in an engaging, understandable, and entertaining way, following the principles of effective science communication—often using highly creative methods. As in previous years, the event was preceded by a training workshop for the presenters. The Science Slam itself serves as a valuable platform for fostering young researchers.
Additional Information
Science Slam website: www.scienceslam.de
Contact for Content Inquiries
Prof. Dr. Elke Kalbe
Vice Dean, Academic Development and Equal Opportunity
Director: Medical Psychology | Neuropsychology and Gender Studies & Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Interventions (CeNDI)
Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Cologne
Kerpenerstr. 62 (Visitor Address: Kerpener Str. 68)
50937 Cologne, Germany
Phone: +49 221 478-96244
Secretary: +49 221 478-6669 (9 AM – 1 PM)
Medical Psychology Website: medizinische-psychologie.uk-koeln.de
Press Contact
Stephanie Wolff, M.A.
Public Relations/Communications Officer
Medical Faculty, University of Cologne
Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 20, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)221 478 30774
Email: stephanie.wolff@uk-koeln.de .
Text translated from German with DeepL