two female researchers presenting at parliament
Dr Anjana Kothandaraman (Postdoctoral Research Fellow) and Khadijat Olorunlambe (Doctoral Researcher)

Dr Anjana Kothandaraman (Postdoctoral Research Fellow) and Khadijat Olorunlambe (Doctoral Researcher) recently attended Parliament to present their engineering research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of STEM for BRITAIN.

STEM for BRITAIN is an annual poster competition in the House of Commons involving approximately 180 early stage and early career researchers. Both Anjana and Khadijat were shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to appear in Parliament and present posters on their research area to a panel of professional and academic experts. Anjana’s research is based on implementing mechanical engineering principals to develop improved infertility treatments and Khadijat’s research is about the use of acoustic emission for diagnosing artificial joint failures.

Anjana commented “This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the cutting-edge research conducted at universities across the country. Infertility is a massive global problem, and can be associated with societal repercussions and personal suffering. Presenting my findings helped raise awareness and encourage discussions with experts and politicians on promoting treatments that enable natural and minimally invasive conception”. Khadija added, “Presenting my work in Parliament gave me the opportunity to showcase the importance of my research and its possible impact to a wider audience. Secondly, it also helped in my development as a researcher through having to communicate my research to people outside of my field in an easy to understand manner. Lastly, it afforded me the opportunity to meet and network with other scientists from all over the country and get to know what they are working on.”

Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee said “STEM for Britain is an annual competition and an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers. These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”

The School of Engineering were proud of both well deserving candidates. Well done Anjana and Khadijat!

STEM for BRITAIN (formerly SET for BRITAIN but now renamed to reflect the importance of its mathematical element) was established by Dr Eric Wharton in 1997. Following his untimely death in 2007, the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, with support from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, is working to further his legacy.

The competition is open to early stage or early career researchers, which includes university research students, postgraduates, research assistants, postdocs, research fellows, newly-appointed lecturers, part-time and mature students, returners, those people embarking on a second career, and their equivalent in national, public sector and industrial laboratories, and appropriate final year undergraduate and MSc students, all of whom are engaged in scientific, engineering, technological or medical research.

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with financial support from the Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Society of Chemical Industry, the Nutrition Society, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research and the Comino Foundation.