Science of Science Communication Scientific Interest Group

NEW! Join us for a summer double-header on the leading edge of science communication and film! Part 1 on July 3 and part 2 on July 10, both 1:30pm ET. Any NIH employees/contractors are welcome to attend.

July 3: “Science communication for the next generation” by Laura Bonetta, HHMI

Summary: Short documentary-style films are an effective way to engage high school and college students in learning about and engaging with science, particularly when they are paused at key points in the narrative. These pauses motivate students to figure out answers to questions and observations, along with the scientists featured in the film. Dr. Bonetta and HHMI's BioInteractive have led the way in producing and studying the effectiveness of short films in science communication in the classroom, and she is an excellent speaker.

Teams Meeting ID: 210 734 829 599 7
Passcode: Ye7rg3js

July 10: “Humanizing Science Through the Power of Story” by Sarah Goodwin and Emily Howell, The Science Communication Lab

Summary: The Science Communication Lab (SCL) is a non-profit organization of scientists, filmmakers, and researchers collaborating on documentaries to build a more scientifically-engaged society. We will share how the SCL uses film to encourage curiosity, broaden views of science and scientists, and create opportunities for dialogue around science. You can pre-explore their film library at sciencecommunicationlab.org and check out one of their papers at PMID: 40130830.

Teams Meeting ID: 258 545 557 837 4
Passcode: dz9tv9G7

About the SIG:

The NIH Science of Science Communication Interest Group (ScioSciComm-SIG) meets monthly to focus specifically on the scientific design and evaluation of science communication, with seminars/journal clubs highlighting both measures of effectiveness and methods to increase general success or target efforts to respond to specific goals.

The interest group is chaired by Drs. Chris Gunter (NHGRI). Membership in the ScioSciComm-SIG will be open to all interested individuals within the NIH, who can join the Teams channel for more information and access to past recordings. For more information, contact Dr. Gunter.

Individuals needing a sign language interpreter or CART services (real-time transcription) to participate in this event should please enter your request into the request portal at Access Interpreting (usked.com) or email the NIH scheduling team at nih@ainterpreting.com.

Previous lectures:

2025 June 5: “Virtual reality for health communication research and practice” by Dr. Susan Persky, NHGRI

2025 May 8: “Using NIH BioArt Source for science communication” by Anita Mora, Ryan Kissinger, Austin Athman, and Alex Stewart, NIAID

2025 April 3: "Exposure matters: Unpacking the effects of repeated exposure to messaging about health & environmental issues" by Dr. Chris Skurka of Pennsylvania State University

2025 March 6: "Trust in scientists and their role in society" by Dr. Niels Mede, University of Zurich

2025 February 6: “From funding to findings: The evolution and future of ‘hype’ in science” by Dr. Neil Millar, University of Tsukuba

2024 December 5: “Mixed-methods approaches to examine harnessing communication strategies to mitigate health disparities,” Dr. Carina Zeyala, University of Maryland

2024 October 3: "The power of words: Stigma and its effects on health outcomes" by Dr. Brenda Curtis, NIH NIDA

2024 June 6: "Communicating research: systematic examination of strategies, tools and impacts" by Dr. Giuseppe Pellegrini, Observa Science in Society Network

2024 April 4: "You want a news release with that?" by Brian Lin, director of EurekAlert!

2024 March 7: "Socially responsible science communication in the age of generative AI," by Prof. Eric A. Jensen, University of Warwick, UK

2024 February 1: "Strategic science communication for building trust," by Dr. John Besley of Michigan State University

2023 October 5: “Quality of science communication: deep questions and practical suggestions," by Mr. Arko Olesk

2023 July 6: “Evaluating the effectiveness of science communication" by Dr. Kristin Bass, Director of Research Development at Rockman

2003 April 6: “Does science self-correct? What we’ve learned at Retraction Watch” by Dr. Ivan Oransky, Editor in Chief, Spectrum; Distinguished Writer in Residence, New York University's Arthur Carter Journalism Institute; and Co-Founder, Retraction Watch.

2023 February 2: “Community-based public health communication” by Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, Associate Professor, Vice-Chair, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University

Chair

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This page was last updated on Wednesday, June 11, 2025