Author: Mychal Voorhees

Contact me about:
  1. Health literacy training
  2. Editing and simplifying patient materials
  3. Patient-provider communication best practices
  4. Reviewing materials for plain language
Health and Science Communication

Communicating About Vaccines – Selected Resources

By — March 24, 2026

Clear communication about vaccines is essential for helping people make informed decisions about their health. The Center for Health & Science Communication at Becker Library has compiled several resources to assist with effective vaccine communication. American Academy of Pediatrics – Talking with Vaccine Hesitant ParentsThis resource offers healthcare providers best practices when communicating with patients who  [Read more]

Health and Science Communication

Resources for Communicating Effectively with Policymakers

By — May 19, 2025

As part of the #SciComm Seminar series, the Center for Health and Science Communication at Becker Library welcomed Ross C. Brownson, PhD, the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the Brown School and School of Medicine, in April 2025. During the session, Dr. Brownson shared some insights on communicating  [Read more]

Health and Science Communication

Selected Resources to Recognize Health Literacy Month

By — October 3, 2024

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. Nearly half of U.S. adults read between a 7th- and 8th-grade reading level, but health information is often delivered at a 10th-grade level or higher. October is  [Read more]

Health and Science Communication

Inclusive and Preferred Language for Patient and Research Participant Communication – Selected Resources 

By — July 11, 2024

Health and science communication best practices include developing communication that is respectful, inclusive, and accessible to your audience. Here are some resources to support your regular communication with patients and research participants using inclusive and preferred language. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Inclusive Communication Principles include key principles for general communication and preferred terms for select  [Read more]

Scholarly Publishing

Need to describe your research impact beyond publications? Try the Translational Science Benefits Model

By , , , and — July 20, 2023

Are you struggling to describe how your research impacts the “real world”? Many folks know we have citation databases and other resources at Washington University to help researchers identify and describe the impact of their publications. Yet, increasingly researchers need to demonstrate their impact outside of academia. One resource we recommend is the Translational Science  [Read more]

Health and Science Communication

5 Tips to Simplify Academic Writing for General Audiences

By — May 8, 2023

As a researcher, you communicate your work to a wide variety of people daily. Besides engaging in jargon-rich discussions with your peers, you might share your research on a personal website, talk about it at a community event, or write about it on social media. Plain language can help you reach beyond academia and ensure  [Read more]

Health and Science Communication

Research or medical glossaries help simplify language, better communicate your work  

By — June 1, 2022

At the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences’ 4th Annual Symposium, “Making an Impact, Shaping the Future,”  panelist Dr. L. Ebony Boulware, vice dean for translational science research at Duke University, emphasized the need to speak a common language, especially when working with community members and research participants. While this isn’t always an easy task, it  [Read more]

Health and Science Communication

Commit to using plain language in the new year

By — January 20, 2022

Have you wondered how to improve the documents and forms your department shares with research participants and patients? Plain language is one of the best tools to ensure your writing is clear and accessible to all. Research shows it can increase research participation, improve adherence, and overall, lead to better health outcomes.  A few of  [Read more]

Health and Science Communication

Key takeaways from #SciComm Week

By — October 21, 2021

Becker Library recently hosted its first #SciComm Week to launch its new Center for Health and Science Communication. Three exceptional science communicators shared their expertise for the series. Here are a few highlights from the presentations. Transforming Slide Design Melissa Marshall, Founder of Present Your Science, kicked off the week by sharing the assertion-evidence slide design  [Read more]

1 2 3