Public engagement

Why engage?

Stem cell research has, and will, impact large parts of society, and consequently receives a large amount of public interest and scrutiny. As research leaders in this area, we believe our scientists play an important role in engagement with a wide variety of voices. We believe such encounters enhance the quality of the scientific questions we ask and help us build trust in research.

Read this piece by scientist Hans Clevers (Principal Investigator at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research and the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology) on the importance of communicating stem cell science.

Find out more about our approach to engagement by viewing our slides from a recent Empowering Research seminar. Dr Rebecca Jones (Public Engagement Manager) and Dr Khalil Rawjii (Postdoc, Franklin Group) spoke about the motivations for engagement, the aims of the institute’s engagement strategy, and perspectives on taking part in engagement as part of your research career.

Our strategy

To ensure that public engagement remains a core part of our research culture, the Institute has developed a public engagement strategy. The strategy directs our annual public engagement programme of centrally coordinated events, activities and training. It also lays out our four strategic aims, target communities and outcomes.

Download a copy of our public engagement strategy or follow the links to find out more about each aim and case studies of recent projects:


Aim 1: To reach beyond Cambridge to raise awareness about stem cells on a national and international level.		Aim 2: To connect with local under-served communities and empower them to access stem cell research.

Aim 3: To give patients a voice in our research and engagement activities that is valued and utilised.		Aim 4: To create an open and engaged research culture.