In today’s fragmented health information landscape, building trust is essential. Drawing on her own journey from an anti-vaccine household to the front lines of science communication, Elisabeth Marnik, PhD, explores evidence-informed strategies for health professionals: leveraging personal narrative, leading difficult conversations with empathy, and prebunking misinformation. Attendees will leave with practical tools to reach people in their communities.
Objectives:
- Explain the benefits of narrative-based communication and identify at least one opportunity to incorporate storytelling into their practice.
- Apply an empathy-first framework for navigating resistant or polarized health conversations that centers the person before the information.
- Distinguish prebunking from debunking and understand the value of prebunking in reaching communities.
- Identify communication habits and word choices that may unintentionally create distance from the communities they support.
Speaker:
Elisabeth Marnik, PhD
Executive Director
The Evidence Collective
Elisabeth Marnik, PhD, is a science communicator and immunologist. Drawing on personal experience growing up anti-science, she launched Science Whiz Liz in 2020 and now serves as Executive Director of The Evidence Collective, a network of scientists, clinicians and trusted communicators bringing deep expertise and proven reach to evidence-based health communication. She holds a PhD in genetics and immunology from Tufts University.
This event is open to all at WashU, but registration is required. Please register to receive the Zoom link, which will be provided before the event.