The Researchers’ Days, organised by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) on 2^nd and 3^rd December 2016 were again a great success. School classes and visitors could discover more than 20 interactive science workshops and join science cafés to discuss science directly with the researchers. LIH was well represented at the event with five activities conceived by its staff.  

This year, the Researchers’ Days took place for the first time at the Rockhal in Belval/Esch-sur-Alzette. It is the ideal place for such an event, as the Belval campus is currently developing to become Luxembourg’s “headquarters” for research and innovation. The event is a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with researchers from the Luxembourg’s research institutions, take part in fascinating science experiments, and discover how omnipresent research is in our everyday lives.

Dr Torsten Bohn from the Epidemiology and Public Health research Unit of LIH’s Department of Population Health held a science café on the topic „The right diet for healthy ageing - you can’t start early enough”. This discussion with the public was intended to create awareness on what one should eat to stay healthy throughout life, illustrated with practical examples and handed out food products, and thus fostering critical thinking around dietary behaviour.

Dr Chantal Snoeck and members of the Infectious Diseases Research Unit at LIH’s Department of Infection and Immunity held a workshop on microbes, “the little bugs that affect our lives”. In a playful manner they provided knowledge about omnipresence, detection and transmission ways of microbes and explained how to prevent and manage disease outbreaks.

Dr Alexis Lion from the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory at LIH’s Department of Population Health presented his project “Sport-Santé” (www.sport-sante.lu) in the workshop “Bouge pour ta santé”. He promoted the health benefits of sport and the therapeutic effect it can have on chronical diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Theory has been put into practice with a nice boxing challenge open to all!

Paul Gette and Dr Christophe Meyer, also working at the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory, offered an activity explaining what happens with our muscles when we move. During the workshop “Ce qui nous fait bouger” visitors could perform different movements while their muscular activity was measured with electrodes and visualised on a screen.  

Finally, Dr Sarah Weiler from IBBL (Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg) held a workshop on the human digestive system and the microbiome. In a ludic way, participants learnt about the different steps of digestion “from the mouth to the toilet” and the function of its components, including the role of the microbial communities in mediating health and disease.