Edinburgh BioQuarter

16/06/2026

💫 BioQuarter Spotlight 💫

This month, we’re shining a light on the Usher Building - a striking addition to Edinburgh BioQuarter that has recently been recognised as one of the 2026 The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Award winners. 👏

Home to the Usher Institute - The University of Edinburgh, the building brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, students and industry partners to develop innovative solutions that improve health and care.

Designed to encourage collaboration, the Usher Building provides a shared space where people from different disciplines can work together to tackle some of society’s biggest health challenges - from health inequalities to the needs of an ageing population.

Its recent RIAS award recognition celebrates not only the building’s design, but also its role in supporting innovation, learning and real-world impact.

📍 Want to explore more of the organisations and facilities based at Edinburgh BioQuarter?
https://edinburghbioquarter.com/about/whats-at-bioquarter/

05/06/2026

It's Day! 🌍

At Edinburgh BioQuarter, we’re working towards a more sustainable future - from promoting active travel to creating green, connected spaces where our community can thrive.

As we continue to grow into Edinburgh’s Health Innovation District, sustainability is playing an important role in shaping how people live, work, travel and connect across the campus and beyond.

Here are a few ways BioQuarter is helping support a greener future:

🌿 Encouraging active travel through walking, wheeling and cycling routes that better connect the campus to neighbouring communities and green spaces.

♻️ Delivering community engagement activities that explore sustainability and environmental themes through science, creativity and learning.

🧪 Reusing and redistributing resources, including unused laboratory equipment for local schools, to help reduce waste and support STEM education.

💬 We’d love to hear from you - what small changes are you making to live or work more sustainably? Share your ideas in the comments!

01/06/2026

📢 Reminder: Have your say on the future of Edinburgh BioQuarter

Come along to the public consultation event and voice your opinions on the proposed mixed-use masterplan being brought forward by Scottish Enterprise.

As BioQuarter continues to grow into Edinburgh’s future Health Innovation District, community feedback will help shape what comes next - from homes and green spaces to innovation and connectivity.

🗓️ Tuesday 9 June 2026
📍 Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre
⏰ Drop in anytime between 2pm-7pm

Come along to:
• Meet the project team
• Explore the ideas and proposals
• Share your thoughts and feedback

Whether you live, work or spend time nearby, your voice matters and can help shape the future of the area.

🔗 Find out more: https://ebqconsultation.com/

28/05/2026

🌟 BioQuarter Spotlight 🌟

We're launching a new Facebook series to shine a light on the places and organisations that make Edinburgh BioQuarter such a unique hub for health and life sciences development.

With a community of over 9,000 people, BioQuarter brings together research, education and clinical care - all working towards improving lives.

First up is the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh 🏥

As a major teaching hospital, it delivers world-class patient care while working closely with researchers, clinicians and partners across the campus. This close collaboration helps turn new ideas into practical healthcare improvements - benefitting patients locally and beyond.

It's this connection between care, research and innovation that makes BioQuarter an important part of Edinburgh's life sciences community.

Want to learn more about what you can find at BioQuarter?
Discover more here: https://bit.ly/4cPPupl

NHS Lothian

21/05/2026

Through our Community Impact programme, we’re working with local schools to connect classroom science with real-world healthcare research, helping pupils see where STEM subjects can take them. 🔬

At Liberton High School, S1 and S2 pupils took part in hands-on sessions designed and delivered by BioQuarter researchers, clinicians and staff.

S1 pupils simulated the diagnosis and practiced intubation and keyhole surgery of an appendicitis patient, while S2s learned about fertility research to connect with the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) component in the curriculum. Facilitated by scientists across BioQuarter, we demonstrated the cutting edge research that improves IVF and other fertility procedures.

The workshops provided an opportunity for pupils to use real training equipment and meet real people in the life sciences and healthcare industry to explore ideas about future careers. 💡

A huge thank you to everyone at BioQuarter involved in delivering these inspiring workshops, and to the staff and students at Liberton High School who helped make these inspiring sessions possible.

We’re excited about this partnership that will enrich the curriculum and ensure every student, regardless of their background, sees and experiences the opportunities the life science sector can offer.

15/05/2026

07/05/2026

📢 Have your say on the future of Edinburgh BioQuarter!

Exciting plans are being developed for BioQuarter, as Scottish Enterprise brings forward proposals for a new mixed-use masterplan - and your input is really important.

This is a chance for the community to help shape a space where innovation, homes, green spaces and everyday life come together.

🗣️ Come along to the next public consultation event on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, at Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre to:
• Meet the team
• Take a look at the ideas
• Share your thoughts and feedback

Whether you live, work or spend time in the area, your voice matters and can help shape what BioQuarter becomes in the future.

👇 Visit the website for more details and get involved!
https://ebqconsultation.com/

05/05/2026

Don't miss Edinburgh Medical School 300 at the Edinburgh Tartan Parade! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This Saturday 9 May, Edinburgh Medical School will take to the Royal Mile as part of the annual Edinburgh Tartan Parade - a vibrant celebration of heritage, community and culture in the heart of the city.

As part of the celebrations, marking 300 years of medical teaching, research and innovation, this is a fantastic chance to see the School's community gather to celebrate its legacy and the history of the city.

From its historic roots to its role today at the heart of Edinburgh BioQuarter, the School continues to bring people together through education, research and collaboration to shape the future of Edinburgh's life sciences.

If you're in the city, come along and show your support!

🔗 Find out more here: https://bit.ly/4tyaKHq

30/04/2026

💉 It's World Immunisation Week

This year's theme - "For every generation, vaccines work" - highlights just how important vaccines are in protecting people of all ages.

From reducing the spread of infectious diseases to preventing serious conditions like cervical cancer, vaccines remain one of the most effective public health tools we have.

At Edinburgh BioQuarter, we support this through our HPV vaccination awareness workshops, delivered to schools within the local community in partnership with Lothian Vaccination Team. By working alongside teachers, our volunteers help young people understand how vaccines work and why they matter - giving them the confidence to make informed decisions about their health.

💭 It all starts with awareness, education and trust.

🔗 Find out more about our community work here:
https://bit.ly/3OOJ16m

14/04/2026

🧬 Last week, Institute for Regeneration and Repair spinout, Trogenix, took a major step towards eradicating one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.

The findings, published in Nature Magazine, highlight complete tumour eradication in 83% of cases in a pre-clinical model of glioblastoma. Through a new gene therapy approach, the treatment not only destroyed tumours but also activated the immune system to prevent them from returning, all without damaging healthy brain tissue. 🧠

With Trogenix now a step closer to clinical trials, this offers patients and families facing the devastating disease a real hope for more effective treatments.

Speaking on next steps, Chief Scientific Officer of Trogenix, Professor Steve Pollard, said: "We are committed to moving these findings as quickly and safely as possible to patients and are optimistic that this can provide a new approach to tackling solid tumours."

The end goal of all the work done at Edinburgh BioQuarter is to have a real-world impact and help those facing some of the toughest health challenges. This research is a stellar example of the innovation and breakthroughs our community of life-science experts can achieve when they collaborate and bring their vast experience and knowledge together.

Discover more about the ground-breaking research here: https://go.nature.com/4tGG1HS