Creating Tension in SciComm With MICE! Milleu: Exiting or restoring a disrupted place or social order Inquiry: Answering an important question or solving a puzzling mystery Character: Resolving an internal struggle or experiencing a personal realization Event: Rebuilding a system or redefining norms after a major disruption

Let's talk about tension!

And, I don't mean in headaches, shoulder muscles, or geopolitics.

Tension is an essential ingredient in storytelling. It motivates your audience to keep consuming your content.

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#ScientificCommunications #MedicalCommunications

Increasing the Impact of Your SciComm Career: 3 Quick Tips 1. Develop Decisiveness 2. Follow Your Curiosity 3. Build Internal Rapport

I had a fantastic time yesterday at the year’s first Ticket to Biotech networking event in Boston!

Plus, the panel was full of thoughtful comments about working in #SciComm.

Given that, I thought I'd share a few that caught my attention.

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National survey of NIH-funded researchers shows precarious state of U.S. science — ‘This is like the Titanic’ A nationwide STAT survey of NIH-funded researchers reveals that, a year after Donald Trump's return to the White House, many scientists are reeling

What does a year+ of #SciencePolicy disruption & #PoliticalInterference look like for the US researchers? A deeply frustrating, self-inflicted wound.

For more, check out the results from STAT's nationwide survey of ~1,000 NIH-funded researchers.

www.statnews.com/2026/03/19/n...

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I needed a culture shift in my lab. I’m grateful one student spoke up Article in Science Working Life Column by Kangkang Tong

The pressure on new #research faculty & leads is tremendous.

Let alone the additional burden of US academics having to navigate #SciencePolicy instability, heavy politicalization, and precarious funding.

Still, that pressure is theirs, not their trainees'.

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www.science.org/content/arti...

On The Origins of Named Glassware — The Journal of Immaterial Science On this day, the 212.89th anniversary of the passing of La Marquis de Burette, we felt it was fitting to recount the remarkable story of his life. We have also described the lives and works of several...

Anyone else love @immaterialscience.bsky.social?

Their article, "On the Origins of Named Glassware," had me dying. It's complete nonsense, but also delightful if you like #chemistry adjacent silliness.

(Who doesn't, am I right?) #SciComm #FunFriday
www.immaterialscience.org/2025/glassware
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"Ask Me About Science!" Got some time and want to engage your community? Grab a whiteboard, find a seat with foot traffic, and see what unfolds! "Hello! Im a friendly neighborhood scientist, and I work on Linsert area of expertise and practice]. Ask me about science!" written on a whiteboard

What if every scientist spent one afternoon a month just talking about science with strangers?

Last week, I had the pleasure of hearing @beccmel2.bsky.social speak about in-person engagement for @standupforscience.bsky.social.

How can you do that in your community? Try a whiteboard!

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Novartis settles 18-month-old lawsuit from estate of Baltimore woman whose cells were extracted 75 years ago The family of a Baltimore woman whose cells were extracted for medical research without her consent 75 years ago has settled a lawsuit with Novartis, with terms of the agreement confidential, accor | ...

Major update to the story of #HenriettaLacks and the first immortal human cell line, HeLa cells!

Novartis and the Lacks' estate have reached a settlement.

www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/novar...

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"There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness." George Washington, Jan. 8th, 1790 First Annual Address to Congress

With the State of the Union coming up, it's a good time to reiterate that US presidents have long understood the value of sound, stable, & evidence-based #SciencePolicy.

Science, medicine, & research are deeply woven in the fabric of the US—and central to its success over the last 250 yrs.

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Scientists leveraging #AI outpace their peers in publications and citations, yet collective #research may be getting less exploratory.

Are AI tools quietly narrowing what we research and how we engage in the scientific enterprise?

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We Do Care | NEJM Physicians throughout Minnesota bear witness to the devastation that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is wreaking. They implore physicians everywhere to raise their voices.

I strongly encourage everyone to read these two pages from Bernard E. Trappy, M.D., for Minnesota Physician Voices.

In brief, this NEJM article describes #physicians' observations and experiences in the wake of ICE's occupation and mass operations in Minnesota.

www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
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US to officially exit WHO despite unpaid fees totaling $260M A year since President Trump announced that he would pull the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. is officially exiting the health agency. | As of January 20, according to the Worl...

The start of 2026 has felt…uhhh...a little chaotic.

(I know, what an understatement!)

Even zooming in on US #PublicHealth policy in just the past week is enough to drive you mad.

For example, the US officially exits the #WHO.

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www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/u...

1. A #flu update:
12 more kids have died, bringing the 2025-26 pediatric death toll to 44 so far. This time last year the total was 27 — & last year went on to be a record year for kids dying from flu. These deaths are reported on a lag; more will come, sadly.
CDC says ~90% weren't vaxed.

The Snowy Owls of Logan Airport YouTube video by Anna Miller Multimedia

When you think about #SnowyOwls and their environment, what do you see?

You probably envision the largest arctic bird surveying a snowy tundra for its next meal.

You probably don't imagine a bunch of snowy owls convening around a major city airport.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3xK...

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Starting a Career in SciComm: 9 Questions & Answers

How do you get a career in #SciComm off the ground?

Recently, I had the privilege to sit down with a group of #GraduateStudents and #Postdocs to talk a bit about my career journey and answer questions.

Since I had a lot of fun, I decided to turn the Q&A session into a thread!

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Leaving academia for #SciComm was a huge step for me.

But, looking back, I'm so glad I ignored nagging impostor syndrome and took the leap.

Now, I'm so thrilled when I can help others do the same.

More than ever, we need enthusiastic, empathetic scientific and medical communicators!

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The BATMAN Effect A recent study found that train passengers were significantly more likely to offer their seat to a pregnant passenger when Batman was present. Pagnini, et al. Unexpected events and prosocial behavior: the Batman effect. npj Mental Health Res. 2025.

Here's a #FunFriday research paper for you on...

"The Batman Effect."

Yup, you read that right!

As a comic and Batman fan, this paper immediately caught my attention.

After all, it's not every day that you see "Batman" written in the headline of a peer-reviewed article!

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"What is the question you're most afraid of?"

That, my friends, is a GREAT place to start when prepping for yourself or others for a talk, #MediaInterview, or any other critical #SciComm discussion.

Asking clients and scientists about their fears is one of my favorite prep tactics.

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Existence of Santa Claus - CDC (Satire) The claim that “Santa doesn’t exist” is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that Santa really does live at the North Pole and brings gifts to “good” children on Christmas. Studies supporting the existence of Santa have been ignored by health authorities. HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of evidence of Santa Claus, including investigations on plausible magical mechanisms and potential causal links to elves and reindeer. HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of evidence of Santa Claus, including investigations on plausible magical mechanisms and potential causal links to elves and reindeer.

🚨 Whoa, HUGE news coming out of the #CDC! 🚨

The CDC has recently changed its web page on the Existence of Santa.

The CDC's web page on the Existence of Santa was updated, saying "the statement 'Santa doesn't exist' is not an evidence-based claim."

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Huge Trypto-fan!* *Contrary to popular belief, turkey does not contain significantly more tryptophan than other common meats, and it isn't what causes your food coma!

It's time for my annual reminder that turkey does NOT contain more #tryptophan than other meats, and the molecule is not the cause of your food coma!

Nevertheless, I hope this #science pun is enough to drive you off your screens for some well-deserved relaxation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

🧪 #SciComm

Cat's & Crystallography Researchers sometimes use cat whiskers to seed protein crystals for structural studies. Includes a photo of a handsome cat (Marten) and one of his whiskers.

I guess today is #FunFelineFactFriday because I have a cool tidbit about cats as a tool in research...and I don't mean as a model organism!

Did you know that crystallographers sometimes use cat whiskers to improve the size and quality of protein crystals for structural studies?

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I had an INCREDIBLE time at #ScienceWriters2025!

Huge thank you to @sciencewriters.org & @sciencewriting.bsky.social, as well as all the organizers, speakers, and attendees.

While I have many topics from the conference I aim to (eventually) discuss, I thought I'd share one cool activity.

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James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.

I've been avoiding reading articles on the death of James Watson, co-discoverer of #DNA's structure.

That is, until I saw that @statnews.com published one by Sharon Begley, a renowned science writer who passed in 2021.

Yes, you read that right.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...

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Chris Fisher, founder & Principal of Multivalent Communications will be in Chicago for Science Writers 2025

It's been too long, Chicago! I am excited to share that I am heading to Science Writers 2025.

I can't wait to connect with #SciComm pros & #ScienceWriters, including old friends & new!

If you'd like to meet up while I'm in town, reach out.

US flight apocalypse allowing, I'll see you there!
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Evidence-based Tips for Communicating Medical Numbers 1. Use numbers to convey risk 2. Keep denominators constant & round 3. Use absolute values to articulate change 4. Employ “part-to-whole” visuals 5. Provide context & comparators

I like to jokingly say "numbers are hard" when I make a mental math error.

But in all seriousness, it can be difficult for many to grasp numerical information, especially when it lacks rich context.

#SciComm #MedicalCommunications

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Losing The Red Queen’s Race: US Science Standing Still Puts Us All at Risk Fictional works have a long history of drawing from, influencing, and articulating science —it’s more of a two-way street than the world of controlled experiments and data analysis would have you beli...

At first glance, Lewis Carroll's #Fiction, #EvolutionaryBiology, & #SciencePolicy appear unrelated.

But once you peer through the looking glass, you'll find they share more than you might think!

For one, each provides an example of the "Red Queen's Race."

www.linkedin.com/pulse/losing...

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Is There an Age That’s Too Young for SciComm? NOPE!

It's easy to forget that #SciComm is for people of ALL ages, not just adults and teenagers.

But is there an age that's too young?

NOPE!

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The 1692 Salem Witch Museum | History, Education, Self-Guided Tours The Salem Witch Museum is a museum in Salem, MA about the Witch Trials of 1692. The museum is based on the actual documents of the trials. Plan a visit to check out the scenes, and listen to the accur...

It's a good time to talk a bit about #WitchHunts.

I say that not only because it's nearly Halloween 🎃, but also because of their historical connection to anti-scientific and pseudo-scientific thinking.

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salemwitchmuseum.com

Fall is very much in swing here in Massachusetts! 🍂 🎃

As the temperatures cool off, harvest activities draw in flannel-wearing patrons for apple and pumpkin treats.

I'm all about eating enough apple cider donuts to get me through the winter.

To celebrate fall, let's talk some science!

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No one understood the importance of scientists engaging in society more than #JaneGoodall.

Though she lived a long, vibrant life, I still felt sad today, knowing that we lost an incredible ambassador for science, whose empathy, curiosity, and resilience inspired me and countless others.

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Impeach Bobby "The Quack" Jr! Stand Up For Science Delivers Quack-O-Grams to Congress. YouTube video by Stand Up for Science!

🦆 QUACK! 🦆 QUACK! 🦆 QUACK! Now, THIS is a great campaign.

@standupforscience.bsky.social, led by @cdelawalla.bsky.social, began delivering "Quack-O-Grams" to Congress this past week. The message is simple: Impeach "the Quack," Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjET...

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