The Heart and Lung Convenience Store: Popping up in Hammersmith this October

A creative collaboration of scientists and designers will transform an empty retail unit into a lively space for science engagement.

The Heart and Lung Convenience Store will be a one-off collection of interactive exhibits and installations exploring how medicine is becoming more available, more personalised and more convenient.  From 19 October to 1 November visitors of all ages can discover the future of heart and lung healthcare at Kings Mall, Hammersmith and find out about the fascinating research conducted on their doorstep by Imperial College London’s National Heart & Lung Institute.

Visitors will be able to imagine a future where it may be possible to diagnose flu from a handkerchief; match a personal healthcare plan to someone’s genetic make-up; monitor heart and lung health through a smart phone app; or transplant the bugs that live in someone’s lungs.

Scientists are working on making medical developments like this a reality at the National Heart & Lung Institute and the store will showcase the latest research and cutting edge technologies with creative exhibits, talks, demos and workshops. Visitors can play the Heart and Lung Lottery, select a ‘pick and mix’ of microbial species that live in our lungs or create a 3-D print of a section of a vein or artery. 

“Like every convenience store, there will be something for everyone,” said Professor Sara Rankin from the National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London.  “But, in this shop, you will be able to strike up conversations with heart and lung scientists and share your opinions about the future of heart and lung healthcare. What do you think about using mobile phone apps to keep track of your own health data? How do you feel about knowing your own genetic risk factors through DNA profiling? What is your opinion on the way that the price of drugs is regulated? As researchers, we want to hear everyone’s thoughts and open up a fascinating conversation about the future of heart and lung healthcare.”

There will also be opportunities to take part in specially developed demonstrations, workshops and talks plus special events such as a heart and lung themed pub quiz.

Supported by a People Award from the Wellcome Trust, The Heart and Lung Convenience Store will pop up in the centre of Hammersmith, close to Imperial College London campuses where many National Heart & Lung Institute researchers are based. These researchers are exploring innovative new ways to diagnose, prevent and treat cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

The Heart and Lung Convenience Store will build on the success of the National Heart & Lung Institute’s first pop-up science shop, The Heart and Lung Repair Shop in July 2014, which involved over 60 scientists and clinicians as ‘shop assistants’.

Heart and Lung Repair Shop 2014

The events are free, open to everyone and designed for all ages.

“The Heart and Lung Convenience Store is a unique opportunity for residents and those who work in Hammersmith to get closer to the medical research that goes on within their local community, as well as what goes on within their own bodies,” said Professor Rankin. “Our first pop-up shop in 2014 was a fantastic opportunity to share our research with the Hammersmith community, appealing to everyone from budding young scientists to adults interested in sharing their ideas about science and medicine. We want to continue that relationship with The Heart and Lung Convenience Store.”

The Heart and Lung Convenience Store is free and open to all at Kings Mall, Hammersmith, from 19 October – 1 November 2015.