Spotlight on the Nominees: Stephanie Mellor (Rising Star)

As the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging’s 2021 Public Engagement Awards draw closer, we shine a spotlight on each of the nominees to celebrate their contribution to another year of outstanding public engagement at the Centre.

During her PhD on the development of wearable optically pumped magnetoencephalography (OP-MEG) systems for clinical use in epilepsy, Stephanie Mellor has engaged with a diverse group of communities. This year, her efforts to build a strong relationship between scientific research and the public have earned her a nomination for the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging’s Rising Star in Public Engagement award.

Stephanie has co-designed, built and run a number of workshops and demonstrations, including the Green Man festival, Brain Awareness Week at Wellcome, and the MEG team’s annual fete at Young Epilepsy over her PhD.

Her engagement activities have had a notable real-world impact on young patients with epilepsy: Young Epilepsy’s new shielded room is inspired by a doll-house room which Stephanie created for a workshop. This work continues as the team about to launch a series of digital workshops with young people with epilepsy. These workshops will help shape the future OPM technology and ensure the helmets, space and tasks are friendly to young people and those with complex needs.

As she nears the end of her PhD, Stephanie will be taking her proactive and positive attitude towards public engagement into the next stage of her scientific career. The work she has contributed to the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging will continue to inspire future engagement projects and steer the direction of research within the MEG team.