FameLab is the world’s longest running and furthest-reaching science communication competition. 

 It's just one of our Learning and Participation and outreach programmes at Cheltenham Festivals. Since it started in 2005, FameLab has expanded to include more than 40 countries. And its alumni have gone on to careers in scientific research, media and public engagement. 

FameLab’s purpose is to discover, train and promote new voices in science. They have just three minutes to present on a scientific concept of their choice to an audience and expert panel of judges.

As FameLab turns 20, we talked to former FameLab participant and alumni Daniel Olaiya – aka CBBC’s Operation Ouch! resident Dr Dan – about the impact FameLab has had on his life and work.

What encouraged you to take part in FameLab?  

I first entered FameLab nearly a decade ago, in 2016, in Aberdeen, Scotland. At the time, I was in my first job as a medical doctor, with a deep passion for science communication and academic research—but I wasn’t quite sure which area I would focus on. My goal on entering the competition was simply to develop my science communication skills, immerse myself in a community of like-minded people and learn. 

FameLab participants have just three-minutes to talk about their chosen scientific topic. Tell us a bit more about your talk and journey with FameLab?

I crafted a three-minute talk on the science of happiness, using functional MRI and neurochemicals to explain what it actually means to be happy. Somehow, I even managed to squeeze in a dance and a song or two!  

The following year, eager to build on the feedback and experience from Aberdeen, I entered again—this time making it to the national final. From that moment on, I never looked back. My talks focused on Deep Brain stimulation, Functional MRI and Aerospace Medicine. 

The FameLab community continues to thrive, with notable alumni like yourself going on to be research, media personalities and more. How did FameLab impact your life and work?  

As I continued my medical career and deepened my research in aerospace medicine, science communication became an integral part of who I am. That single spark ignited an adventure that shaped my journey. 

Today, I’m fortunate to be a presenter on CBBC’s BAFTA Award-winning Operation Ouch!, the creator of the theatre show How to Survive in Space! and a lecturer who has worked alongside the likes of Tim Peake at Cheltenham Festivals as well as continuing practising as an Anaesthetist and Critical Care doctor in the NHS. 

What’s your advice to anyone taking in FameLab or who wants to support the programme?  

The sky is truly the limit if you challenge yourself with FameLab. Get involved, put your heart into it, and share your passion!