A weekend to explore health technologies at EPFL

What if, for a weekend, we could all step into the shoes of doctors, engineers or scientists? On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, Scientastic will turn the EPFL campus into a vast hands-on space dedicated to health technologies. Organised by EPFL’s Science Outreach Department (SPS), the festival aims to show how science and technology help us understand the human body, prevent diseases, improve treatments and shape the medicine of tomorrow.

One of the festival’s highlights will be the interactive exhibition "COMMENT ÇA MARCHE?" (“How does it work?”) where visitors, guided by science communicators, students and researchers, will discover how technological innovations are transforming disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and medical monitoring.

EPFL labs open their doors to the public

Neurotechnologies, artificial intelligence in medicine, assistive robotics, innovative treatments and connected devices: research teams will present their work and the opportunities it offers to improve health and quality of life through laboratory visits and a wide range of interactive stands.

Visitors will be able to discover, among other things, research aimed at restoring movement after spinal cord injuries, technologies designed to assist people with disabilities, and ways in which science and technology can improve healthcare for the most vulnerable populations in contexts of poverty and humanitarian crises.

Science cafés and conferences will offer further opportunities for discussion on topics such as breast cancer, antibiotic resistance, neurodegenerative diseases and new therapeutic approaches.

Workshops, shows, games and discoveries for the whole family

For this year's edition, SPS has designed and developed 15 science workshops (registration required) for children, teenagers and adults. While younger visitors learn how vaccines work by creating a board game, children aged ten and over can build their own mini microscope to observe cells. Teenagers will have the opportunity to explore more complex scientific challenges, such as antibiotic resistance. And will adults prove more insightful than artificial intelligence when it comes to diagnosing a fracture?

Scientastic will also feature drop-in activities that are free and open to all, with no advance registration required, as well as chemistry, physics and neuroscience shows, science games and a treasure hunt across the campus.

A visit to our neighbours

This year, RTS is taking part in the festival by opening the doors of its new premises in Ecublens. Visitors will be able to tour the studios and take part in media literacy workshops exploring the links between health and technology.