In August’s ‘Getting involved in global science policy’ webinar, our panellists introduced and discussed the growing importance of science communication for early-career researchers, aiming to empower them with the tools needed to create impact and get involved in science policy.
Due to the interest generated, we organised a follow-up #ECRWednesday webinar, in which a fresh panel of experts provided further insight into researcher involvement in science policy, and effectively communicating research and research culture issues to policymakers.
If you are interested in further discussion on creating impact through science policy, understanding more about the topic and how it affects you, or discovering potential career paths in science policy, catch up on the recording of this webinar.
Chair:
Nick Pokorzynski, PhD is a current eLife Community Ambassador and postdoctoral researcher at the Yale School of Medicine. He studies how bacterial pathogens respond and adapt to host-mediated stresses. Nick has had a long-standing interest in science policy, helping to found both the Washington Science Policy Network (WASPN) and the Washington State University Graduate and Professional Student Science Policy Initiative (WSU-GPSSPI).
Panellists:
Naomi Wallace, PhD is the Manager of Impact Initiatives at the Association of Science and Technology Centers, where they support museum professionals in building equitable partnerships and working with their communities to address issues at the intersection of science, society, and policy. Naomi has been active in science policy since graduate school, where they helped to found the Washington State University Graduate and Professional Student Science Policy Initiative (WSU-GPSSPI), and they are currently continuing to expand their knowledge through the Union of Concerned Scientists Science Advocacy Movement Building School.
Naomi discussed connecting researchers with communities for grassroots action.
Emily Myers, PhD is an Organizer and Policy & Political Advisor with UAW 4121, the union representing over 8,000 Academic Student Employees, Postdoctoral Scholars, and Research Scientists at the University of Washington. Continuously active in science policy, while pursuing her PhD Emily co-founded the Washington Science Policy Network (WASPN) and served on the leadership team of Seattle 500 Women Scientists. She is a former candidate for Seattle City Council. While in her role with UAW 4121, she helped start Collective Action for Better Science (CABSci), works to improve policies which impact early career researchers, and supports expanding collective bargaining for science workers.
Emily explained how science and labour policy impact the scientific workforce – using collective action to tackle challenges facing researchers at every level of career.
Shannon Kozlovich, PhD is a Science and Policy contractor working on projects for local, national, and international organisations. Shannon is a research scientist, mom, LGBTQ+ activist, and tobacco prevention enthusiast who holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. During her graduate studies, Shannon founded and organised a science-policy association with the goal of ensuring science trainees are given the skills to communicate research findings and impact to the general public. She currently sits on California's Dialogue on Cancer Committee and serves as a co-chair for their Health Equality work group to address cancer-related health disparities for LGBTQ+ people.
Shannon discussed the 'Political Determinants of Health – how systems and policies impact the health and wellbeing of societies and what science and data can do about it'.
Hana Janebdar is the Cofounder and CEO of Juno Bio, an Illumina backed startup. Juno Bio exists to forge the standard of care women deserve with a precision medicine platform for gynaecological health. Juno Bio’s beachhead product is a next generation sequencing (NGS) based vaginal microbiome test and coaching service equipping customers with actionable insights into their vaginal health journeys while powering up research to close the gender health gap. Juno Bio's work has informed the public policy process of the Women's Health Strategy in the UK.
Hana shared her experiences for 'Multi-route approaches for tackling health needs of under-addressed groups'.
The ECR Wednesday webinar series is produced by eLife staff and guided by the eLife Early-Career Advisory Group, with the aim to support ECRs to raise and discuss issues of importance to them. The series does not involve editorial oversight by eLife the journal.
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Interested in our full selection of #ECRWednesday webinars, on topics such as preprints, finding funding and more? Take a look at the collection of past reports and recordings.
