LifeLab actively engages with young people, teachers and researchers. The aim is to introduce science that explains how lifestyle choices at an early age can drastically affect young people’s health and the health of their future children.
Through hands-on learning, we hope to empower young people to make healthier choices and reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases (such as heart disease and diabetes) later in life. This hands-on approach to learning breaks down boundaries, makes science accessible, and brings it to life; inspiring children to consider careers in healthcare, science, and medicine.
Since we launched the pilot scheme of LifeLab in 2008, thousands of children have taken part from schools across Hampshire. They have seen their DNA, taken a "snapshot" of their health, studied how genetics can affect cholesterol levels, learned how diet can affect DNA, used ultrasound to look at their own arteries, examined skeletons and studied how nutrients cross the placenta.