The students really enjoyed the chance to interact with the lasers, and the 3D models were great for visualising the surgery. They also got a lot out of the discussion with the students about university and the variety of pathways the students had taken”
Callum Parkinson, Teacher of Science, Westminster Academy
23 June 2026
Postgraduates bring healthcare tech to life for young Londoners
Postgraduate students from King’s College London’s Healthcare Technologies MSc/MRes programme delivered a series of engagement sessions to secondary school students across London.
As part of their studies, the current Healthcare Technologies cohort introduced young school students to MedTech, highlighting its real-world impact and exploring potential career pathways in the field. Developing public engagement skills is a core element of the Healthcare Technologies programme at King’s, ensuring students are equipped to communicate their work effectively to diverse audiences.
During one session with sixth form students at King Solomon Academy, participants were challenged to design their own heart rate monitors. The activity combined both technical and creative elements: one group focused on building a circuit to measure muscle signals using electromyography (EMG), while another group used computer-aided design (CAD) to develop a casing for the device. This hands-on experience provided students with valuable insight into both the engineering and design processes involved in creating biomedical technology.
Another session engaged Year 12 Applied Science BTEC students at Westminster Academy in exploring the use of lasers in surgery. The session began with a presentation introducing key concepts and applications of laser surgery. Students then took part in a group activity, using colour markers to identify tumours and vital structures on 3D-printed models of hearts and brains, complete with simulated “cancerous” attachments. This hands-on experiment helped illustrate the precision required in surgical procedures and the importance of distinguishing between healthy and diseased tissue.
Highlighting the growing role of AI in healthcare, the postgraduate students delivered a two-hour session for GCSE Computing students at Prendergast Ladywell School, focusing on current applications and future opportunities in the field.
The session introduced real-world uses of AI and robotics, including medical imaging, surgery and diagnostics. Students then took part in a ‘spot the difference’ activity, competing against AI-powered image analysis tools. This was followed by discussions around the ethical challenges associated with AI in healthcare. In the final section, students applied their Python programming skills to develop and refine an A&E triage model, gaining practical insight into how AI can support decision-making in clinical settings.
The professionalism, enthusiasm, and subject expertise brought to the workshop created a highly engaging learning environment. The students were genuinely inspired, and the session has already sparked further discussion and curiosity within our Computer Science and STEAM programmes.”
Wioletta Gallie, Head of Computing at Prendergast Ladywell School
The Healthcare Technologies Masters students running the sessions found them to be extremely rewarding and a great opportunity to approach their research in a different way.
Public engagement is not an optional extra but a vital skill for anyone working in biomedical engineering; the ultimate purpose of developing medical technologies is to benefit the public, so understanding their perspectives is just as important as mastering the technical skills we learn in our master’s course."
Billy Ko, Healthcare Technologies Masters Student
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