Sara Verstraeten

Sara Verstraeten, born in Belgium and raised across Kenya, the USA, Argentina, and Belgium, studied Communications Management and began her career in advertising. She shifted to science communication at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), where she led the visitor centre and a public engagement programme for EMBL’s TREC expedition. Today, Sara is Co-Founder and Managing Director of KOI, a company developing public engagement programmes and consultancy in science communication.

Sara Verstraeten's 2024 Falling Walls Engage Winner Project is TREC Public Engagement.

The TREC expedition engages the public across Europe in 21 languages, addressing environmental challenges like climate change, pollution, and human impact. Activities include Nexus Island, a workshop simulating researcher experiences, TREC in the City, a microbiology activity, and Run Scientist Run, a family game highlighting fieldwork challenges. These tailored events foster science appreciation and explore climate mitigation strategies.