Help move University of Minnesota discoveries forward at the Minnesota State Fair
The University of Minnesota will conduct more than 50 studies at this year’s Minnesota State Fair that stand to improve the health and lives of Minnesotans everywhere. We’ll need your help to do it.
The University of Minnesota launched its Driven to Discover Research Facility (D2D) at the Minnesota State Fair in 2014 to bring University researchers into closer contact with Minnesotans. Roughly two million people visit the fair each year from across the state, making it a great place to connect with people of all ages and engage them in exciting, innovative projects that help build a greater Minnesota, together.
Over the past 11 years, nearly half a million fairgoers have visited D2D, and more than 150,000 have participated in 400+ studies in areas ranging from the liberal arts to the health sciences. Studies have included everything from decoding the DNA of a State Fair corn dog to examining the rise of artificial intelligence in our everyday lives.
This year, the University of Minnesota is asking for the public's participation in more than 50 studies. Results will help advance research in Alzheimer's disease, cancer treatments, wearable technology, language development, and more.
Below are several research highlights. The full research schedule is available here. Unless noted otherwise, all studies take place at D2D: The Driven to Discover Research Facility, 1367 Cosgrove Street, Minnesota State Fairgrounds (map).
Defeat cancer during Goldy vs. Cancer Day
Eligibility: All ages
When & Where: Aug. 22, all day at the Crossroads Building and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Driven to Discover Research Facility.
In any battle, knowing and understanding your adversary is crucial. That's certainly true in the fight against cancer, and research is the key to defeating it.
The Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, will host "Goldy vs. Cancer Day at the Minnesota State Fair," where MCC researchers will educate and engage fairgoers on the work being done to reduce the burden of cancer for Minnesotans and beyond. MCC researchers will cover everything from Cancer Bio 101 to hands-on laboratory research techniques. On the stage, they'll host games and activities that will not only reward participants with prizes, but inspire the scientist in all of us.
Get a 3D scan of your head to support wearable product engineering
Eligibility: Ages 18 and under
When: Aug. 23 and Aug. 27, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
The University of Minnesota has created wearable technology that has improved everything from human health to space travel, including creations like a compression vest that can calm children with autism or other sensory processing disorders, and a glove for firefighters that can detect walls and doorways when the smoke is too thick for the human eye to see.
During "Heads Up: 3D Scans of your Head," participants can help inform the creation of medical technologies for kids. Participants will see what they look like in three dimensions by having their face and head scanned with a 3D scanner.
The research is co-led by Medical School associate professor Gwenyth Fischer and College of Design associate professor Linsey Griffin of the University of Minnesota's Human Dimensioning Lab (HDL), which explores methods and technologies related to anthropometry-the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body. HDL fills a critical void in wearable product engineering through the development of technology and tools for dynamic 3D and 4D scanning, which encourages more robust, data-driven designs for products.
Want to know more?
Learn to talk like a creature from outer space
Eligibility: Kids ages 5-8
When: Sunday, Aug. 24, 2:30-9 p.m.; Tues, Aug. 26, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Thurs, Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; and Monday, Sept. 1, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Language is a complex and amazing human skill that we do not fully understand. In the study "Kid Talk: How Do Kids Learn Language?" children will have the opportunity to learn to talk like a creature from outer space that uses the same words as humans, but talks a little differently. By observing children learn the space creature's language through different types of instruction, researchers hope to help speech-language pathologists support the language development of children who are having trouble learning language.
Professor Lizbeth Finestack of the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts is leading the study. Finestack's long-term research aims to identify language interventions for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Help others find hope in dementia and Alzheimer's care
Eligibility: Ages 45+
When: Aug. 25, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Aug. 28, 2:30-9 p.m.
Dementia affects more than 10 percent of Minnesotans over the age of 65. Fortunately, the University of Minnesota is a national leader in research and treatments related to dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. While there's no cure, and treatment options have long been limited, the landscape is changing for the better, in part because of the work happening here.
Fairgoers can help advance dementia-related research by participating in "Dementia curious? We Are Too! Help Us Find Answers." You'll find out what your risk factors are for developing dementia, what you can do to keep your brain active and healthy, and how to take care of loved ones who have dementia.
Leading this study is Medical School professor Dongming Cai, director of the University of Minnesota N. Bud Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care. Her lab is developing a new Alzheimer's disease treatment that may slow down or even prevent its progression. By extending the period of cognitive function, the need for nursing home care is delayed, and families can enjoy a better quality of life for longer.
Be among the first to try Minnesota's newest table grapes
Eligibility: Minnesota residents ages 18+
When: Aug. 30, 2:30-9 p.m.; Aug. 31, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
It's not easy to grow grapes in the sometimes frigid north, but the University of Minnesota has the expertise to do it. The University of Minnesota grape breeding team is actively developing new grapes for both wine production and fresh consumption. Currently, two seedless, cold-hardy table grapes are in the pre-commercialization stage.
During "Vine and Dine: Identifying Minnesotans' Desire for Locally Grown Table Grapes," you'll be among the first to try these new grapes, bred to withstand Minnesota's harsh winters. Participants will sample grapes and then complete a short survey about their preferences and what they want from a Minnesota-grown grape. Soon Li Teh, assistant professor of grape breeding and enology with the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and a University of Minnesota Extension specialist, leads this study, along with applied economics professor Hikaru Peterson and student researcher Michael Pliscott.
