The RISE-Health Research Unit made its debut at the European Researchers’ Night, an initiative that took place this year in the cities of Braga, Coimbra, Évora, Funchal and Lisbon and which celebrates science at European level every year.

With the motto ‘Science for Global Challenges’, the RISE-Health Research Unit, with researchers from the University of Aveiro (UA), the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém and the University of Madeira (UMa), developed activities dedicated to the cardiovascular system and health literacy through interaction with visitors.

Marisa Lousada and Ana Cláudia Lopes (RISE-Health/UA) consider that participating in the European Researchers’ Night is very positive, since activities such as quizzes on breastfeeding and the role of the speech therapist in this process ‘allowed for very close contact between the community and the researchers’.

Alcinda Reis (RISE-Health/IPSantarém) emphasises the fact that ‘hands-on experiences remain in the memory and are likely to have a strong impact on future career choices’, highlighting the strong support of young people who are sensitive to the importance of research in the field of health.

The European Researchers’ Night has been celebrated since 2005 throughout Europe, always on the last Friday in September, as an initiative promoted by the European Commission.

This year, the action involved the collaboration of several entities, notably the Universities of Lisbon, Coimbra, Minho and Évora. The Nova University of Lisbon, ISCTE – Lisbon University Institute, the Estoril Hotel and Tourism School, Lisbon City Council and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory are also partners in the event.