The poster competition is aimed at sixth form students and is sponsored by the British Heart Foundation and Asthma + Lung UK.

The second annual Imperial College London Science at Heart & Lung School Teams Prize saw 55 entries from schools across the UK. The science competition was launched last year by the BHF Centre of Research Excellence to engage sixth-form students with cardiovascular research. This year, it expanded to include an additional prize for lung and respiratory research, sponsored by National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) and Asthma + Lung UK.

Dorian Haskard, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the NHLI, said: "The aim of the competition is to generate interest at a sixth-form level in science as a means to improve cardiac, circulatory and lung health, and to inspire future research leaders in the field."

The competition was open to all UK schools. Teams of up to six students were asked to design an ePoster for either the 'Heart' or 'Lung' stream of the competition. Shortlisted teams presented their ideas to a panel of judges on how science can improve cardiovascular or respiratory health. 

First, second and third prizes were awarded £3000, £2000 and £1000 to support science-related activities at their school. Winners were also offered virtual meetings with Imperial academics to discuss their submissions and learn more about research at Imperial.

Winners of the Heart Prize

Joint First Prize

• Oxford International College - View the winning poster (PDF)
•  Winstanley College‌ - View the winning poster (PDF)

Joint Third Prize

• Yarm School
•  Henrietta Barnett School‌

The heart and circulation stream of the competition was led by Dorian Haskard and sponsored by the British Heart Foundation. 

Winners of the Lung Prize

First Prize 

• Concord College - View the winning poster (PDF)

Second Prize

• Saint Olave’s Grammar School

Joint Third Prize

• Wycombe High School
• North London Collegiate School

The lung and respiratory disease stream was led by Cecilia Johansson, a Professor of Mucosal Immunology in the Section of Respiratory Infections at the NHLI. 

High quality presentations

One of the judges commented: "I was very impressed with the quality of the school groups. So much so when the first group went I was thinking, 'gosh, we’ve had the best group first', then they were all so good; well-thought-out and clearly explained."

Feedback from schools was overwhelmingly positive. One school commented: "I would like to express our thanks for the unique opportunities this has given the students. They spoke very positively about the whole experience, especially working in a team and using everyone’s talents."

Credit for lead image: Concord College