McMaster University is one of the next stops for the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay.

In advance of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, a delegation from the University of Birmingham — the educational partner for the summer Games — will visit McMaster from May 25 to 27 to meet with researchers to strengthen collaborations between the two institutions.

And the Queen’s Baton will make its debut on May 26.

Karen Mossman, vice-president, research, says the opportunity to host the delegation was sparked by discussions during a fall 2021 visit to the University of Birmingham.

“There is huge potential to expand our research partnerships with Birmingham,” says Mossman, noting the synergies in research areas like air and water quality, infectious disease, sport and exercise, and aging, to name a few.

“And with the Baton heading to Canada, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to celebrate both research and sport, given the Games got their start in Hamilton — as the British Empire Games — 92 years ago,” she says, adding the timing works well as the Hamilton community considers a bid for the 2030 Games.

The visit also includes a number of public events:

Wednesday, May 25

Open Air: Presenting Data-driven Science through Art – The Technology Behind The Queen’s Baton
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Convocation Hall, University Hall 2^nd Floor, McMaster University

Join us for a unique look at how artists are working with air quality data to create informed and accessible digital artworks, that are not only abstract and beautiful but also breaking down barriers between obscure data, academic research and public engagement.

Hear from the artists and scientists behind the first “smart” baton, as they discuss and illustrate the ways in which they’re working together to show unseen environmental data – collected from the Baton as it makes its way across Commonwealth countries in advance of the 2022 Birmingham Games – and make it visible to raise awareness and create change.

Learn more about the panelists and register here.

Thursday, May 26

Painting Air Pollution
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Convocation Hall, University Hall 2^nd Floor, McMaster University

McMaster Professor Bruce Newbold from the School of Earth, Environment & Society, talks with the University of Birmingham’s Francis Pope, professor of Atmospheric Science, on the air pollution sensor that has been incorporated in the 2022 Birmingham Queen’s Baton. Pope will discuss his work measuring the causes and effects of air pollution, as well as his collaborative activities to make air pollution more understandable, tractable and soluble.

Learn more and register here.

2022 Birmingham Queen’s Baton Relay: Pass the Baton for Research
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Begins at University Hall (outside)

Join Birmingham representatives and McMaster researchers, student athletes and alumni as The Queen’s Baton makes some stops across campus.

Water in a Changing World: Addressing Global Sustainability Challenges through Transatlantic Collaboration
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Held virtually via Zoom

Shasha Han and David Hannah (University of Birmingham) join Sean Carey and Mike Waddington (McMaster University) at the UN Think Tank on Water (UNU-INWEH) to discuss a new collaboration to address global challenges associated with water and sustainable development goals in an era of unprecedented global change. Link to register for this virtual, academic lecture below.

Register here

Public lecture: Inclusive Spaces for Aging Well
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
David Braley Health Sciences Centre, 100 Main Street West, Hamilton

The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) will host a research and community fair, followed by a public talk by a diverse group of leaders from the University of Birmingham, McMaster and the community. The series of short, dynamic presentations will highlight western and Indigenous perspectives on the challenges, opportunities and evidence around implementing inclusive spaces for aging well.

Join early from 4:30 – 6 p.m. for a community and research fair.

Learn more about the panelists and register here.

Friday, May 27

Bodies, Brains, Buildings: Aging, well-being and health in the built environment
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Peter George Living Learning Centre, 127

Bodies, brains, buildings: Aging, well-being and health in the built environment is an academic talk for the McMaster community featuring environmental neuroscientist Robin Mazumder and muscle physiologist Leigh Breen.

They’ll discuss how lifestyle, exercise (or lack thereof) and the built environment may contribute to mental and physical well-being across ages, socioeconomic conditions, and geographies. This talk is part of the One Topic, Two Disciplines series presented by MIRA, which brings together two researchers with different expertise on a single topic to explore pressing challenges in aging research and interdisciplinary approaches to solving them.