March 2013 NUI Galway Students Host Art in Science Exhibition

A group of second year Biomedical Science students from NUI Galway recently hosted a two-day art exhibition at the Galway museum.  The ‘Art in Science’ exhibition featured striking images acquired from research labs in Anatomy, Biochemistry and Pharmacology disciplines in the University. The project was undertaken as part of a Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) module.  

The images were mostly derived from subcellular structures of components too small to see with the naked eye and required sophisticated imaging systems. Students designed and produced brochures to accompany each image which gave details of how the image was generated and its significance in the progress of scientific research. The images were regarded as particularly interesting as standalone art pieces in addition to their scientific significance and therefore were able to bridge the gap between science and art.   

Dr Lynn O’Connor, Lecturer in Biomedical Science at NUI Galway, said: “We are very proud of the efforts of the students to share the ongoing research efforts taking place in Biomedical Science in NUI Galway with the general public.  They successfully managed to convey not only the enormous research strides that are taking place in NUI Galway but also to convey an appreciation of the artistic merits of the images produced as part of that research effort. They have bridged the gap between science and the arts. Over the course of the two day exhibition children from local schools, tourists and local people viewed the images and spoke with the students about their work which was received with great interest.”   

NUI Galway scientists who contributed to the exhibition included: Drs Maura Grealy and  Eilis Dowd from Pharmacology; Dr Lynn O’Connor, Biomedical Science; Professor Peter Dockery, Alex Black and Drs Dara Cannon and Fabio Quondamatteo from Anatomy; and Professors Noel Lowndes, Brian McStay and Ciaran Morrison, and Dr Andrew Flaus from Biochemistry.

-ENDS-