Raising a glass to knowledge: one night, ten bars, 20 talks

University of Auckland academics are hitting the bars on 2 August, delivering 20 lectures in ten of Tāmaki Makaurau's favourite watering holes in the annual Raising the Bar event.

Now in its fifth successful year, some of the Raising the Bar highlights will include:

• Geneticist Professor Andrew Shelling exploding myths on what genetics can truly predict, such as when you will lose your virginity, and explaining where huge advances are really being made in diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
• Dr Laura Domigan sinking her teeth into lab-grown meat, and sharing her own research engineering new protein for surgical use and cell-based meat production.
• Associate Professor Peter Saxton on Aotearoa New Zealand’s controversial policy that excludes gay men from donating blood if they’ve had sex in the last three months.

Mark Bentley, director of Alumni Relations and Development, says Raising the Bar provides a unique opportunity to be able to spend the night at the pub with an academic expert rather than "your regular know-it-all".

"The relaxed atmosphere of a bar is an ideal place for all members of our community, University students or graduates ,or not, to engage with academic thought and research."