Reflecting on the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences' inaugural Industrial Engagement Day

17 June 2025

The day provided a unique opportunity for industry leaders, alumni, researchers, and staff to come together and explore how shared challenges can be tackled through strategic partnerships, innovation, and communication. 

Highlights

The programme was filled with inspiring talks and hands-on engagement. Some highlights include:

Bridging the Gap: Industry Panel

A standout session featured expert panellists Vanessa Dekou, David Weinkove, Leanna Lopez, and Maddy Phipps-Taylor in a dynamic conversation on closing the gap between academia and industry. From aligning timelines to valuing soft skills, panellists stressed the importance of mutual understanding, evidence-based practice, and preparing graduates with not just disciplinary knowledge but also the confidence to communicate, adapt, and innovate.

Lightning Talks

Our Head of School, Caroline Brennand and Leads from our four research centres and education programmes delivered fast-paced presentations highlighting the scope and societal impact of our work — from cutting-edge behavioural science to environmental modelling and biomedical innovation.

Funding and Collaboration Talks

Talks from Bita Najafi (Innovate UK) and Joanne Chamberlain (QMUL Business Development Team) offered practical insights into how funding mechanisms and strategic partnerships can bring ideas to life, scale solutions, and support academic spinouts.

Poster Session and Lab Tours

Students, early-career researchers, and technical staff presented 22 posters in a lively showcase of talent and creativity. Visitors also had the chance to see our labs in action, with guided tours from the technical team.

Thoughts from attendees

Here’s what some of our speakers had to say: 

“The day was exceptionally well organised and it is also very emotional for me to go back to my university and contribute.” 
— Vanessa Dekou, SBBS alumna 

“It was a really interesting and fun event — had some great conversations!” 
— Professor David Weinkove 

“I appreciated finding out more about the great work you and your colleagues are doing. I’d like to stay in the loop as you evolve your industry engagement work!” 
— Maddy Phipps-Taylor 

Looking forward

Looking to the future, twelve attendees expressed interest in joining a newly formed SBBS Industrial Advisory Board, which will guide future collaboration, help shape curriculum development, and support future events — including upcoming Centre Launch Days. 

Reflecting on the event, organisers shared their pride in what was achieved: 

“It was inspiring to see so many people engage with our work and contribute ideas for the future.” 
— Charalampos (Babis) Rallis and Paraskevi Argyriou, event organisers 

“The Industrial Engagement Day is a shining example of how our School continues to evolve — not only in research excellence, but also in opening our doors to the wider world.” 
— Professor Caroline Brennan, Head of School, and Professor Isabelle Mareschal, Director of Research

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended, participated, and supported the day — especially our panellists, guest speakers, alumni, and students. Events like this wouldn’t be possible without the continued backing of the SBBS community, including the leadership team, technical staff, and academic colleagues. 

We’re excited to build on this momentum, and we’re already looking forward to Industrial Engagement Day 2026!