This is a blog post to accompany the October 2020 Global Science Show: Science Centres special. I’ve been taking part in the fabulous #GlobalScienceShow since its inception by the very generous and creative @scottishscicomm Sam Langford during lockdown.
Today I will be sharing a personal #ScienceCentres thread. Follow along with the whole show @GlobalSciShow on twitter.
This is a personal research journey thread highlighting the importance of #ScienceCentres #Museums #Zoos and more, and I’ll be tagging those instrumental in my work.
My science and curiosity journey began in my garden as a small child:
The @FieldStudiesC were also instrumental in the early days of my academic investigations, including ecology and marine biology.
As an undergraduate, I was awarded a scholarship from @UFAW_1926 to study the rehabilitation, rescue and release of abandoned seal pups (Grindrod 1996) and I worked with @SEALIFEHunstant @sealsanctuary @RSPCA_official and @BDMLR
I also worked on an environmental enrichment project with captive seals.
Grindrod and Cleaver (2001) Environmental enrichment reduces the performance of stereotypic circling behaviour in captive common seals (Phoca vitulina). Animal Welfare 10, 53–63.
https://www.ufaw.org.uk/animal-welfare-journal-content-pages/volume-10-2001-abstracts#d
and went on to review environmental enrichment at the zoo with the help of @TwycrossZoo @zsllondonzoo @chesterzoo @EdinburghZoo @zooberlin @whalesorg @wildfutures @BuschGardens @SeaWorld whilst studying at @KeeleUniversity (Grindrod 1997).
and also to research the hormonal influence on reproductive behaviour in mice (Grindrod 1996).
My next move in the animal behaviour world was with a #MAFF (now @DefraGovUK) funded PhD studentship @Cambridge_Uni studying pig behaviour, animal welfare and neuroendocrinology (Grindrod 2001)
You can watch this Dr Jo Science Solutions video on farm animal welfare to find out more https://youtu.be/S3LmV25M5DE
Then I carried out a postdoctoral research project studying reproductive behaviour and neuroendocrinology in sheep @babrahamInst
Robinson, Birch, Grindrod, Taylor and Unsworth (2003). Sexually differentiated regulation of GnRH release by gonadal steroid hormones in sheep. Reprod Suppl. 2003;61:299-310. PMID: 14635943.
Robinson, Grindrod, Jeurissen, Taylor & Unsworth (2009). Prenatal Exposure of the Ovine Fetus to Androgens Reduces the Proportion of Neurons in the Ventromedial and Arcuate Nucleus that Are Activated by Short-Term Exposure to Estrogen. Biology of Reproduction. 82. 163-70. 10.1095/biolreprod.109.079004.
Before embarking on the ultimate animal behaviour experiment of raising my own children and becoming a teacher!
Along the way, many museums, zoological collections and #ScienceCentres have also helped shape my path, including @ZoologyMuseum @NHM_London @wildfutures @london_aquarium @NMAPlymouth @SedgwickMuseum @MaltaAquarium as well as many hands-on discovery opportunities such as @we_the_curious (formerly @ Bristol) @sciencemuseum #MilleniumDome @IWMDuxford @newscilive @camscicentre @computinghistory
And finally, as well as teaching children and young people, delivering fun and engaging, hands-on science workshops, and supporting teachers’ professional development, @DrJoScience is also my very own pop-up #ScienceCentre ☺
www.drjosciencesolutions.co.uk
#ScienceCentresForOurFuture #GlobalScienceShow #ScienceCentres #Zoo #Museums
#BeCurious #DrJo #DrJoScience #PopUpScienceMuseum #BrilliantBodies #FizzingPotions
@camscience @NorwichSciFest #BBD #PrimaryScience #PriSci #ScienceWorkshops