San Diego, CA—The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is teaming up with the nonprofit organization Pint of Science to host the 2015 Pint of Science Festival.

The festival will feature two things that San Diego excels at: science and beer.

"San Diego is well known for its beer, but our city also has world-class scientists and science institutions," said Erilynn Heinrichsen, postdoctoral fellow at University of California, San Diego, and city coordinator for San Diego Pint of Science. "This is a great opportunity to showcase all the scientific minds we have in San Diego while enjoying a pint in a social setting."

Pint of Science is an international organization that aims to foster community interest in science through palatable presentations over a beer. The 2015 Pint of Science festival takes place in eight different countries around the globe, with nine US cities being represented, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego.

The event will feature talks from prominent local scientists, who will share their research or field of expertise in a fun and engaging way. The talks will be geared toward laypeople and scientists alike.

Talks include Sex in the Lab: The Neurobiology of Attraction and Love with Mike Datko of the Cognitive Science department at UCSD; How The Horse Lost Its Toes and Other Tales! with Dr. Kimberly Cooper, Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology; and Fighting Alzheimer’s Disease With Stem Cells from Dr. Larry Goldstein, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Director of the UCSD Stem Cell Program.

This year the San Diego team at Pint of Science has teamed up with the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center to make the 2015 event a success. The partnership is a perfect fit for both parties.

"Teaming up with Pint of Science was an obvious decision for us," said Steve Snyder, CEO of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. "Our mission is about sharing the wonders of science with people of all ages, wherever they are. We have already been hosting regular events in bars, such as Suds & Science and Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar. We've found these programs to be very successful models for engaging with people in San Diego and initiating discussions about science. We hope to do more of the same with Pint of Science."

"The partnership with the Fleet has been great for helping us spread the word," added Tatum Simonson, co-coordinator of Pint of Science in San Diego. "Pint of Science is well known amongst scientists, but the Fleet is established as a focal point of science learning for everybody in San Diego, not just scientists. They have helped us extend our reach to a much wider audience than we would have reached on our own."

All events in the 2015 International Pint of Science Festival are scheduled between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday, May 18, through Wednesday, May 20. The talks take place at nine different bars, across three days, with 24 different science speakers and topics. Venues include La Jolla Brewing Company, Mike Hess Brewing in North Park and Ballast Point Brewery in Little Italy. There is no charge for admission to any of the talks in the festival.

"We're very excited! This is the second year we've hosted the festival in San Diego, and we're looking forward to building on the success we had last year," said Erilynn Heinrichsen.

Advance registration is recommended. For a complete list of venues, talks and scientists, please visit the website. https://pintofscience.us/events/san-diego/

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The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and Pint of Science have representatives available to talk about the 2015 Pint of Science festival. Interview representatives include Dr. Steve Snyder, CEO of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, and Pint of Science co-coordinators for San Diego, Erilynn Heinrichsen and Tatum Simonson.

To schedule an interview or a media appearance, please contact Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young at 619-685-5743 or nyoung@rhfleet.org.

Additional Links and Information

Pint of Science San Diego: https://pintofscience.us/events/san-diego/

Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar: http://www.rhfleet.org/events/two-scientists-walk-bar

Suds & Science: http://www.rhfleet.org/events/suds-science

Bios

Erilynn Heinrichsen
San Diego City Coordinator for Pint of Science and Postdoctoral Fellow at UCSD.

Frequent dolphin sightings while biking to work, along with the abundance of great science, running trails and local breweries convinced Erilynn to stay at UCSD for her postdoc. Erilynn studies the effects of high altitude on hearts and is passionate about science teaching and communication.

Tatum Simonson
San Diego City Coordinator for Pint of Science and Assistant Adjunct Professor at UCSD.

Tatum is a scientist who plays, learns and explores from the highlands of Tibet to her sunny home base of San Diego and many places in between. Her research is focused on genetic and physiological adaptations to living at high altitude. She is excited to celebrate the exceptional science and craft beer in the San Diego community at this year’s Pint of Science festival.