The Year 12 AstraZeneca Poster Showcase marked the conclusion of the third year of the AstraZeneca Vaccine Challenge, an established project designed to develop students’ scientific knowledge, research skills and professional communication. The showcase gave students the opportunity to present their vaccine designs using an academic poster format, mirroring the style and expectations of professional scientific conferences.
For many students, this was their first experience of presenting research in this way. They demonstrated a high level of confidence, clarity and scientific understanding, responding thoughtfully to challenging questions from expert visitors. The overall standard of work was exceptionally high, with posters showing strong research foundations, clear data interpretation and professional presentation.
Six judges from AstraZeneca Speke evaluated the submissions, noting that the quality and depth of scientific content made the judging process particularly demanding.
The Results
Following careful deliberation, the AstraZeneca judging panel awarded the following prizes:
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Best Overall – Phoebe
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Best Visual – Delight
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Best Verbal – Mohammed and Ridwaan
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Best Scientific Content – Florence and Gaby
In addition, Year 9 and Year 10 scholars took part in the judging process, awarding the Popular Vote to Ade.
As part of the project’s conclusion, all prize-winning students were offered a week-long work experience placement at AstraZeneca’s Speke site, providing first-hand insight into careers within the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Our Year 12 student, Phoebe, was also offered a bespoke placement, including dedicated time with the vaccine development team, allowing for deeper engagement with cutting-edge scientific research.
All posters presented during the showcase were made available to view on the Baltic Research Institute (BRI) website here.
The showcase provided a strong and fitting conclusion to the Vaccine Development Project and highlighted the growing confidence, professionalism and scientific capability of students taking part.