150 sixth-form students from Lleida attended the 5th INspiracy Lleida conference to encourage an interest in scientific research

Around 150 sixth-form students from the Lleida region attended the 5th INspiracy Lleida conference, an event dedicated to promoting local research and stimulating interest in research among first-year sixth-form students in the Lleida region, organised by the Lleida Institute of Biomedical Research (IRBLleida). The event was held in the Auditorium of the Centre for Culture and Cross-Border Cooperation at the University of Lleida (UdL) (Cappont Campus), and could also be followed online via the BCNspiracy YouTube channel.

The event, made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) - Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences at the University of Lleida and is coordinated by the *CNspiracy team and the science communication association 'Hablando de Ciencia'.

The Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Lleida, Jordi Voltas Velasco, and the Director of the Lleida Institute of Biomedical Research, Diego Arango del Corro, opened the event.

This was followed by the first session of the day, focusing on cutting-edge research in Lleida, which took centre stage today. The following talks were given during this session:

• Modelling endometrial cancer using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing tool; presented by Damià Ortega, University of Lleida (UdL) and Lleida Institute of Biomedical Research (IRBLleida).
• The great journey of neurons during the embryonic development of our brain; presented by Joaquim Egea, University of Lleida (UdL) and Lleida Institute of Biomedical Research (IRBLleida).
• How and why should we study rare diseases?, led by Joaquim Ros, University of Lleida (UdL) and Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida).
• From the Aspergillus we breathe to the infection that can kill us: the importance of researching biomarkers, by Alfonso Cordero, Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida).
• Our invisible housemates, by Maria Coronada Garcia, Lleida Institute of Biomedical Research (IRBLleida).
• Communicating is humanising. Patient-centred care for cancer patients, by Eva Barallat, University of Lleida (UdL) and Lleida Institute of Biomedical Research (IRBLleida).

The second session focused on the figure of the nurse Florence Nightingale, with two talks by researcher Mireia Ortega from the Augusto Pi i Sunyer Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBAPS) and the Catalan Association for Scientific Communication (ACCC), and researcher Miquel Àngel Calderó, from the UdL and IRBLleida.

To round off the day, researcher Enric Sangrà concluded with a talk entitled "Science and science communication on expeditions to the polar regions".