Alison Mac Cormaic

Mosaic artist - Educator

cúram

Cells, 2023

Cúram are a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre designing the next generation of ‘smart’ medical devices to aid human health. I have linked up with them a number of times, working to deliver arts projects that make connections between Cúram researchers and the wider Galway community.

https://curamdevicesengage.ie/#

During March and April 2023 weekly art workshops took place with PHD Researchers from Cúram. Students worked to capture and illustrate their research projects in order to better share their research with the public.  The drawings were exhibited in University of Galway as part of CÚRAM”S International Conference on its groundbreaking Education and Public Outreach Programme.

Curious Young Minds, 2023

 I was very pleased to be part of CÚRAM’s Curious Young Minds project that celebrates diversity with STEAM experiences. The group of children aged 4-12 drew cells from inside the body and even found a  digger during the outdoor ‘drawing what you see sessions’.

The central ethos of CÚRAMs Education and Public Engagement programme is to provide opportunities for learning and engaging with science to communities underrepresented in STEM.

https://curamdevicesengage.ie/school-resource/curiousyoungminds/

Tiny Sea Life, Big Cures, 2021

Understanding the role of marine life in human health was at the heart of this series of workshops held in St Nicholas Parochial School. To start, the importance of conservation was discussed by Noirin Burke from the Galway Atlantaquaria.

Then Dr. Sarah Gundy from CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices based at NUI Galway showed students marine sources of biomaterials and how they can heal the body, for example, by filling diatom exoskeletons with medicine so they can travel in the body and release at the point of pain.

Inspired by the scientific material investigated from the aquarium and CÚRAM,I encouraged students how to imagine, design and create models for devices that may aid human health and recovery. The ideas generated in the workshops were used to design a mural for the school.

© Alison Mac Cormaic 2023 | All Rights Reserved