Neuroscience can be an intimidating topic for educators who aren’t neuroscientists. Even if people aren’t intimidated, they don’t necessarily have good tools and resources to go beyond “let’s make a brain hat and learn the parts of the brain,” which is all well and good, but sometimes you want to move the conversation beyond that. We’ve been hearing a lot of interest and appreciation for creating these tools that scientists and educators can use to to go a little deeper.
Sometimes we also get a little skepticism: How is this actually possible, within the current institutional structures of academia and the the lack of incentivizing scientists to engage with the public in this way? If it’s not getting them published or helping them get tenure, can they afford the time? But we have to start somewhere, and it’s very encouraging that there’s so much interest and curiosity about what this could look like.
How do you see this work continuing, post-fellowship?
We have plenty of ideas for how we would love to continue this work. For example, how might these kinds of public engagement tools be applied to a variety of different stakeholder groups? There are certainly many gaps to bridge besides just scientists and general publics, including policymakers, patients and patient advocacy groups, trainees, industry and tech, the list goes on.
Our small-scale formative evaluation gave us a very promising early signal that, yes, participants are getting something out of this. They are practicing the skills and personal attributes that we’re trying to promote through these activities, things like collaboration and reflexivity and empathy. But I would love to to do some more-rigorous research to see what exactly people are coming away with from these experiences, and how it prepares them to be more engaged with these topics in the future.
In 18 months, we were able to get some finished products that we can send out into the world and they can get some good use, but there’s a lot more we’d like to create and a lot more we’d like to do. There are all sorts of opportunities.
Have you been following the Foundation’s Neuroscience & Society Center plans?
Yes! That is definitely going to be an avenue for some of this dialogue to happen. These science and society centers will bring together scientists, ethicists, communicators, students and educators—all sorts of people.
We need these kinds of spaces where members of the public can engage directly with scientists on more of an equal footing, not just “I’m going to go hear a lecture at this university and sit and listen.” There’s a place for that too, but we also need opportunities for dialogue.
To have a leading organization like the Dana Foundation recognize that, see value in this kind of mutual learning, really lends this approach the legitimacy that it needs to become more of the standard – an expectation that this is something that we as scientists need to be thinking about. Neuroscience is so interwoven with society in so many ways; we’re going to need everyone’s contributions to realize the promise of brain research and technology.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just accepted a position as an Education and Engagement Specialist at the Allen Institute in Seattle, where I’ll be continuing to engage the scientific community, members of the public, and students from K-12 through college and graduate school in exploring cutting-edge neuroscience, as well as cell biology and immunology. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity that this fellowship has given me to build my skills in this area, to meet so many wonderful people, and to launch my career in civic science – building these much-needed bridges between science and society.
Recommended Reading
Impact Story
Worldwide Impact: IBRO Extends the Reach of Brain Awareness Week
Impact Story
Measuring the Impact of Scientific Outreach and Engagement
Impact Story
Survey Finds Brain Health is a Top Priority for Americans