Plasma Plus at SciFest 2026
SciFest is a STEM fair where secondary school students chose a scientific or technological topic to investigate. They then showcase their work which gets evaluated by judges from both academia and industry. The students also get a chance to attend engaging talks and demonstrations throughout the day.
SciFest is a great opportunity for the students to experience a college environment, learn more about STEM, and gain valuable feedback on their hard work.
Over the past few years, members of the Plasma Plus project have been involved in SciFest by helping in the event and judging. This year, PI Dr. Gemma Kinsella, Postdoc Dr. Janith Wanigasekara and PhD student Natalia Bednarz, all been involved in SciFest in varied capacities.
Natalia, a former SciFest participant, was invited to give a talk on her experience from second-level education to PhD. She discussed how SciFest sparked her interest in science and research, which encouraged her to pursue BSc Pharmaceutical Healthcare at TU Dublin, and a career in cancer research.
Natalia's talk on "Fighting Cancer with Drugs and Lightning", based on her PhD work, was well received with much interest and engagement. The talk showcased how "lightning" or the 4th state of matter, plasma, can be used to kill cancer cells and to help improve the anticancer properties of drugs.
Both Natalia and Janith were delighted to take part in the judging session. It was a great opportunity to talk to the students, discuss their work, give constructive feedback and overall see the level of hard work and dedication they have put in to their work.
Plasma Plus would like to thank everyone involved for allowing us to be a part of such a great event. Congratulations to SciFest on celebrating their 20th year anniversary!
