Changing the Way We Talk: How Science Communications Brings Research to the Masses
Was I awkward? What overthinking after a party has to do with your lizard brain.
That was the headline Popular Science used to highlight a recent research paper co-authored by Rodrigo Braga, PhD. But how did editors arrive at such an engaging turn of phrase? The answer may lie in the teachings of a dynamic course created by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology that is being offered this October through the NUCATS Institute.
“Traditional scientific communication often relies on rigid formats — introduction, methods, results, discussion — that don’t resonate outside of our scientific disciplines. As a result, many scientists struggle to engage effectively with broader audiences,” says Nicole Woitowich, PhD, executive director of the NUCATS Institute and a research associate professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences who specializes in science communications. “This lack of bidirectional communication creates space for misinformation to thrive. By improving how we share our work, we can help bridge that gap.”
Braga, a course alumnus, credits the Art of Science Communications instruction with helping him better understand how using lay language can help to better promote his research.
Traditional scientific communication often relies on rigid formats that don’t resonate outside of our scientific disciplines. As a result, many scientists struggle to engage effectively with broader audiences.”
“The opportunity to record our own segments and receive feedback while also seeing how others approached their research presentations was very useful for learning how to pace our conversations and explanations in a science communications setting,” says Braga, assistant professor of Neurology. “I now realize how helpful it is to take the time to carefully select understandable terms, phrases and analogies to describe a research project in an engaging way before communicating with the press and public.”
Braga began the course with a more straightforward and scientific approach to describing his publication, “The human social cognitive network contains multiple regions within the amygdala.” Eight weeks later, his ability to translate that scientific language into everyday language was much improved. He subsequently connected with Northwestern’s Office of Marketing and Global Communications where he received additional training to further enhance his skillset when speaking to journalists. Braga also worked with the staff in Global Marketing as they created a press release featuring his research.
I now realize how helpful it is to take the time to carefully select understandable terms, phrases and analogies to describe a research project in an engaging way before communicating with the press and public.”
The result was an article in Popular Science that was picked up in other media outlets. Braga was also a guest on the Breakthroughs and Scientific Sense podcasts.
“It was very exciting to see that our research struck a chord with popular media, although some of the more nuanced aspects of the findings did get lost as we tried to communicate the overarching story in a simple way,” says Braga. “I’d strongly recommend the Art of Science Course not only to those who want to be better at speaking with non-expert audiences, but also for those who want to be better at explaining their work to a wider scientific audience.”
The Art of Science Communication is an eight-week online course that provides scientists at all career stages with fundamental training in science communication. The goal of the course is to equip participants with the skills and knowledge to effectively and confidently present their science to nonexpert audiences in various settings, such as a formal public lecture or stakeholder presentation, or an informal local outreach event.
Using video lectures, background material, and live online discussions, the course covers important components of what makes for a successful presentation, including messaging, generating interest, and engaging with the audience.
“My biggest takeaway was learning to recognize common misconceptions scientists often have when communicating with non-scientific audiences,” says course alumnus Ignacio Garcia Gomez, PhD, research assistant professor of Anesthesiology. “I now have tools and resources that I can use to improve the way I share my research in broader and more understandable ways.”
The course is open to all faculty and staff within Feinberg.
“I hope participants walk away with practical strategies for communicating their work to non-experts — whether that’s a neighbor, a policymaker, a journalist, or even a colleague in a different department,” says Woitowich. “Communication is a skill we can all continue to strengthen, and this course provides a supportive space to do just that. I’m especially excited to learn alongside participants and see how they use these tools to enhance the reach and impact of their work.”
Written by Roger Anderson
