Bexhill student competing against hundreds in UK competition

Caden Dias-Bandaranayake will now take his place in this year’s The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition.

The event is part of the The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair, which is running from March 14 to March 17 at Birmingham’s NEC.

Caden’s project is entitled ‘Investigating Concentration of Interleukin 6 in fire instructors’.

It centred on research into the effect of extreme heat exposure, which can lead to an increased risk of cardiac problems, on fire instructors and firefighters, with a view to developing more effective ways of treatment to cool down the body after such an incident.

Caden will be competing against hundreds of other students, aged between 11 and 18, all vying for top prizes, including the coveted title of UK Young Engineer and GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year.

Beth Elgood, director of communications, Engineering UK, said: “The students really impressed the judges with their projects and we’re excited to see how they do at the finals at the fair.

“Going into its 10th year in 2018, The Big Bang Fair continues to be a great source of STEM inspiration for young people, representing an amazing opportunity for young visitors, their teachers and parents to get hands-on with a wide range of activities, workshops and shows, and engage in meaningful career conversations with professionals, all designed to bring classroom learning to life and inspire the next generation.”

The competition aims to recognise and reward young people’s achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and provide them with the opportunity to build their skills and confidence in project-based work.