Raise your glass to discovery and enjoy a laid-back evening talking about the future of life-changing science. This is the idea behind a new event called Sips of Science, put together by Departments at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Conceived by Marlene Behrmann, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Sips of Science evolved from a prior endeavor of hers. Dr. Behrmann has a strong commitment to share scientific information to the public and has been involved in several outreach programs. Prior to the pandemic, she and her postdoc, Dr. Marge Maallo, arranged a series of three events at a pizza place in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh under the auspices of the Pint of Science organization.
More recently, Dr. Behrmann approached the Eye & Ear Foundation to try to set up something similar. As Pint of Science is copyrighted, the name had to be changed to Sips of Science. Dr. Behrmann invited Morgan DiLeo, PhD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Bioengineering, and Clinical & Translational Sciences and Director of the Ophthalmic Biomaterials Laboratory, to help. Catherine Palmer, PhD, Director of UPMC Audiology, Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, and Professor and Chair of Communication Science and Disorders, was also roped in, along with Marco Capogrosso, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery, representing Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R).
Dr. Behrmann hopes to hold Sips of Science every six months with speakers from different EEF constituencies to showcase cutting-edge work.
The first Sips of Science event was held at Trace Brewing in Bloomfield on November 12 from 7-9 pm. Around 30 people attended and heard three speakers share their work. Dr. DiLeo talked about the work her lab is doing in drug delivery technology, developing an eye drop that will be more effective for chronic eye conditions. Dr. Palmer talked about a resource her team created, called clEARdashboard, to provide product reviews and information for over-the-counter hearing aids. Dr. Capogrosso talked about his research to restore muscle movement for stroke and paralysis patients. Each person spoke for 15-20 minutes and answered audience questions.
“I think this is a good way to disseminate information in a casual and relaxed atmosphere with relatively short talks and the opportunity to have conversations among the attendees and speakers,” Dr. Behrmann said.