Chinenye Akpulu, a DPhil student at the IOI has inspired school students to create paintings based on her research on antimicrobial resistance as part of the University of Oxford’s Beyond Boundaries project.
Beyond Boundaries aims to bridge the perceived divide between science and art, while connecting local schools in Oxfordshire with the world-class research taking place at the University of Oxford.
At the IOI, Chy is studying the link between antibiotic resistance and the gut microbiome. Chy is specially interested in why some new-born babies get drug resistant infections within the first two years of their life. Read more about Chy’s research here: https://www.ineosoxford.ox.ac.uk/news/antibiotic-resistance-and-gut-microbiome
The Beyond Boundaries competition attracted over 170 entries from schools across Oxfordshire. Two of the four winning entries were inspired by Chy’s work. They were:
- ‘Chy Challenges Bacteria’ by Year 6 primary school student Jacob Humphries-Orme.
- ‘The Fight of Abject Antimicrobial Resistance’ by Year 5 primary school student Grace Bruce.
Their work was displayed at Oxford’s Natural History Museum, where they received winning certificates from Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford.
The Beyond Boundaries event was a very heartwarming event. We were meant to inspire the kids, but I was personally inspired by their creativity and individual interpretations of my research. The subject area of antimicrobial resistance is complex, and I was impressed with the students understanding and interpretation through arts.
Winners were chosen for each year group by a panel of judges including:
- Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford.
- Dr Tanesha Allen, previous Beyond Boundaries Researcher.
- Neill Cameron, UK-based comics writer and illustrator.
- Sara Lowes, Head of Communities, Practice & Participation at Modern Art Oxford.
Read more about Beyond Boundaries here: Local young artists recognised in the University of Oxford's science-inspired art competition | University of Oxford