Jessica Sims, Project and Engagement Manager for the UKCRC Tissue Directory and Coordination Centre, has received University College London’s Provost’s Award for Public Engager of the Year (Professional Services Staff) for her work in public engagement in biobanking.
The award recognised Jessica’s recent project developing a biobanking board game to simulate the process of real-life biobanking. The project involved members of the public in helping to devise a game as well as professionals working in biobanking.
The selection panel were impressed by the innovative approach that Jessica took to public engagement around the sensitive and complex research area of biobanking. They also applauded her desire to share the learning from her project more widely, with UCL researchers keen to explore the potential of the game format in their own research context, and at academic conferences.