This fall, our #SciComm Seminars are back with exciting topics to expand your science communication skills in new ways. The series is presented in partnership with the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS).
In the 2018-19 series, we learned a lot about topics like communicating genetic results, community partnerships, visual communication, and more.
Here are some of our top takeaways from last year:
- Remember to ask: is your message accurate? We often don’t know what we don’t know, so it’s important to always ask what might be incorrect. (Hank Dart, Communicating Prevention Messages).
- When working with diverse populations, we have to do more than just worry about one-on-one communication. We need to look at our institutional communication like signage, medical bills, the consent document, and more! (Dr. Vetta Sanders Thompson, Minding Our Words: Communicating to Mitigate Negative Impact)
- Use mentions and hashtags on Twitter in a strategic way to reach more people and to connect to a broader audience. Tweets without hashtags or mentions won’t get very far. (Dr. LJ Punch, How to Promote Your Work with Social Media)
- When communicating about genetic test results and other complex topics, there is not a one-size-fits-all policy. Context matters. (Dr. Jessica Mozersky, Communicating Genetic Test Results)
- Visualization can be helpful in communicating health risk with patients, but patients’ emotional states can affect comprehension. Keep this in mind when using health visualizations, and remember, simple is often better. (Dr. Alvitta Ottley, Empowering Your Audience through Visualization)
For more, download recordings of past #SciComm presentations from Digital Commons@Becker.
In our next seminar on Thursday, Nov. 14 (3-4 p.m. in FLTC 203, RSVPs here are encouraged), we are excited to learn tips for hosting or guesting on a podcast, featuring Jim Dryden, director of broadcast and podcasts for Medical Public Affairs, and Claire Gauen, publications and digital outreach initiatives editor managing producer of “Hold That Thought” for Arts & Sciences.
For reminders on upcoming topics and dates, sign up for the #SciComm Seminars mailing list at becker.wustl.edu/email and select “Science Communication and Outreach” on the form.
We hope to see you at the 2019-20 series of #SciComm Seminars!