Thanks to CIBM’s Community and Project Manager, Despoina Demenega, CIBM participated in the EPFL’s Open Days this year.
The event returned after a three-year hiatus, attracting over 25,000 visitors over the course of two days, on April 29th and 30th 2023. This year’s Open Days event covered five main themes: climate change, health, space, basic research, and artificial intelligence. Visitors had the chance to discover the School’s research work related to these themes through events, animations, demos, meetings, workshops, and tours of the various facilities.
Imaging Pavilion
The Imaging Pavilion organized by the EPFL Center for Imaging, featured the CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging as a key participant. A team of research staff scientists and doctoral students of the CIBM MRI EPFL Animal Imaging & Technology section provided guided tours of their research facilities to over 50 visitors. The audience, ranging in age from 9 to over 60 years old, came from at least five different countries and comprised various groups including current and prospective EPFL students, families of researchers, and the general public who were interested in gaining insights into biomedical imaging.
CIBM guided visits
The tour began with an overview of CIBM’s history and organizational structure by CIBM’s Executive Director Pina Marziliano, followed by visits to
- the 7T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) platform by Lijing Xin, Antonia Kaiser, Huang Zhiwei, and Xinyu Liu
- the Neurochemistry laboratory by Pierzchala Katarzyna
- the Radiofrequency laboratory by Daniel Wenz
The presentations delivered by the staff generated a lot of interest among the attendees who had insightful questions spanning from the nature of research work, to the finances of a research project, to what it takes for someone to work as a researcher. It’s worth being curious, and CIBM’s participation in the Open Days offered the public the chance to explore a universe of cutting-edge technology and research.
A great big thanks to Melissa Caloz and Laurene Donati from the EPFL Center for Imaging for coordinating and hosting CIBM’s booth in the Imaging Pavilion.
Did you attend the CIBM guided tour? Your answers to this survey will help us improve your experience at a future event.