DPAG once again hosted a highly successful Teacher Residential in June 2026, organised in close collaboration with Jesus College and Trinity College, Oxford.
During the week-long programme, secondary school teachers were accommodated by the partner colleges, with Jesus College hosting Henry Norris, Jack Clarke-Slimming, and Lona Davies-Tuft, and Trinity College hosting Divya Kunnathumkara, Alison Finerty, and Daniel Okyere.
To experience cutting-edge science first-hand, the teachers were embedded within research groups across the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (CNCB), the Kavli Institute, and the Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM). The core objectives of the residential were to:
Demystify tertiary research: Provide a clear understanding of how science is conducted at a world-class institution.
Build confidence: Experience Oxford's research environment first-hand to inspire teachers to encourage their own students to apply for university-level science.
Bridge classroom and lab: Identify direct links between advanced research and the secondary school syllabus to enrich school-level learning.
The immersive week concluded with a session where teachers presented and discussed their project results, followed by an 'Applying to Oxford' workshop designed to give them practical tools to support future applicants.
The participating teachers were incredibly impressed by the professionalism, expertise, and dedication of the Oxford researchers. They engaged deeply with a wide range of sophisticated tools and techniques—including modern web-based platforms featuring stunning, detailed imagery of the latest developments in the fly connectome. Many noted that the experience was vital in humanising an institution they had previously 'put on a pedestal'. They agreed that bringing these insights back to the classroom would broaden their students' awareness of varied scientific careers and make Oxford feel within reach. Simultaneously, teachers valued the chance to network with peers from other schools, establishing a supportive network to share resources and ideas moving forward. The benefit was mutual. Oxford scientists found the teaching cohort's curiosity deeply motivating, noting that the week offered valuable insights into the current challenges faced by secondary educators.
Valeria Silva Moeller, a postdoctoral research scientist in the Waddell Group, shared her highlights from the week:
'This year we welcomed Alison Finerty and Daniel Okyere to the Waddell Lab as part of the High School Teacher Week, and it was fantastic to see almost the entire lab get involved, with more people volunteering to take part year after year. We spent a great day sharing our research, from genetics and behaviour to connectomics. The teachers had the opportunity to handle flies, take part in learning and memory experiments, and even watch the fly brain in action while the flies walked on a suspended air ball. It was wonderful to see so much curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the visit, and we hope they left with plenty of ideas to take back to their classrooms. Activities like this are a great reminder of how important it is to connect research with the wider community, and we hope we inspire a few more young minds to become curious about science and perhaps the tiny but fascinating fruit fly brain!'
The residential was organised by Rui Ponte Costa with help from Tomoko Watanabe, Carolyn Carr, Louise Cotterell, Shankar Srinivas and Heidi De Wet.
Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, materials, and resources including to ensuring the success of this initiative, including:
From the Waddell Group (CNCB, hosting ): Valeria Silva Moeller, Anna Cook, Ashwin Mirilaya, Bhagyashree Senapati, Juliana Choi, Kamal Singh, and Annie Park.
From the Fernandes Group (Kavli): Camille Goldman, Hanouf Almutairi, Manfred Lim, Giselle Van Zon, Alan Barragan Filigrana, Ilgin Sezer
From the IDRM (which hosted teachers from London and Wales - Jack Clark-Slimming, Henry Norris and Lona Davies-Tuft):
Andy Brogden, Andy Darly, Eva Smpokou (IDRM)
Ian McCracken, Emma Jones (McCracken Group)
Susanna Cooper, Tom Mulroney (Riley Group)
Toby Andrews (Andrews Group, Paediatrics)
Kostas Lekkos (Mommersteeg Group)
Jonathan Godwin, Konstantinos Miti, Tomoko Watanabe (Srinivas Group)
Dorota Szumska-Bilska, Sophie Payne (De Val Group)
Dhanu Gupta, Simon Chester, Emily Haughton (Gupta/Wood Group/Paediatrics)
Charlotte Melia (Dunn School EM facility)
Sean Elias (Pandemic Science Institute)