Eye on WNY: Learn About Research This Winter With ‘Sofia’

The playable video game version of “Sofia Learns About Research,” a children’s activity and coloring book that presents research in a non-threatening way, opened in 2020 at downtown Buffalo’s Explore & More ­— The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum. During the year-plus that followed, children from throughout Western New York have had the opportunity to engage with the exhibit and get a taste of what real research looks like.

With local schools getting set for winter recess in December and early January, families may be looking for a unique, fun educational opportunity. And while “Sofia” is enjoyable for kids, parents can feel pleased that there is real learning taking place.

“It has been rewarding to speak with families who have played the game,” says University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Special Populations Core Director Teresa Quattrin, MD, UB Distinguished Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Research Integration, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “We have received extremely positive feedback thus far.”

The “Sofia Learns About Research” activity book is available for museum visitors to bring home; free copies can be found located on small racks above the exhibit. It is available in Arabic, English and Spanish, and so far more than 700 books have gone home with young readers.

The CTSI originally partnered with Explore & More to create an exhibit that showcased “Sofia” and allowed for children to perform their own research in a safe environment. The game lets the player create his or her own Research Ranger superhero avatar to help Sofia find out what is causing her asthma so it can be treated.

The “Sofia” exhibit was featured on WGRZ-TV’s “Daybreak” in October 2020; watch the segments here. An interactive, web-based version of the game can be found on the CTSI website.