CPR welcomes 40 enthusiastic science talents

Monday 6th of November, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research (CPR) hosted 40 upper secondary school students with a keen interest in health and medical science. The participants are part of the ScienceTalent Academy aimed at nurturing scientifically gifted young Danish school students. This is the second time that CPR hosts a science day visit for the academy giving students from all over Denmark the chance to “become a scientist” for a day. It is a great opportunity for the students to hear and experience the kind of research that takes place at CPR, but also for the center to inspire and attract these highly talented and science-enthusiastic students.

How and why pursue a career at CPR?
The students were in the morning welcomed by a team of PhD students and postdocs. They were introduced to the CPR organization and the research activities taking place at the centre – learning why protein research is so important! A major focus were also to give the young students an insight into the career opportunities CPR provides. They got to listen to three career examples from a PhD student in protein structure, a scientific programmer and a research coordinator that discussed their career path and choices.

Experiencing science
During the introduction of CPR, the students also learned about the research facilities available and necessary to study protein function. In addition, to provide them with a better understanding of these techniques, the eager students participated in four different experimental stations, which enabled them to experience first-hand protein and disease research. A CPR team of eight excited and talented PhD students and postdocs demonstrated the work carried out at the four experimental stations representing the four research programs at the centre – Protein Structure and Function, Protein Signaling, Proteomics, and Disease Systems Biology.

Throughout the day, the students showed a lot of enthusiasm and had a lot of fun getting to experience science more directly than they have before. They were excellent scientists asking in-depth questions to better understand the techniques and research that they were presented with.

About ScienceTalent Academy
The ScienceTalent Academy is a Danish initiative to enhance the opportunities for scientifically talented young students in Denmark, and is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The academy is a 2-year learning programme for scientifically gifted upper secondary school students from all over the country, and contains a course for teachers, six science camps, a stay abroad and a terminating project assignment. The programme is a collaboration between the upper secondary schools and leading research centres and universities within scientific research to inspire and excite young talents, and to encourage their continued interest in science.