Science Communication Competition Research Articles

Enhancing medical students' science communication skills: from the perspective of new media.

With the development of science over the years, people have increasingly realized the importance of science communication. Unfortunately, very little research has focused on helping medical students develop the capabilities of science communication. To improve medical students' science communication and evaluate the effectiveness of New Media through mobile clients in health science communication, a competition was held among medical undergraduates. Outstanding works were selected for publication on our official health science communication WeChat account. Furthermore, the participants volunteered to complete a questionnaire survey to help us assess students' awareness of science communication. Our analysis revealed that students had a strong willingness to serve society and to participate in science communication work. Students generally agreed that science communication work had excellent effects on professional knowledge and related skills. In addition, the correlation results showed that the greater students' willingness to participate in health science communication was, the greater their sense of gain. New Media effectively expand the influence of students' popular science works. Our findings suggest that competition in science communication has a positive impact on enhancing students' awareness and capabilities in science communication. In addition, New Media are an effective way to improve students' scientific communication efficiency. However, we also noted that students' participation rate and enthusiasm for scientific communication were not high. Further research is needed to determine the reasons for this situation and potential strategies to further improve students' science communication.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The science communication competition had a positive impact on helping medical students develop awareness and capabilities for science communication. In addition, New Media are an effective way to improve students' scientific communication efficiency.

Biochemical Society Science Communication Prize 2021

For over a decade, the Biochemical Society has looked to identify and celebrate outstanding science communication talent in molecular biosciences with an annual Science Communication Competition. In 2020, to mark the 10th anniversary of this scheme, the Biochemical Society renamed its Science Communication Competition as the ‘Biochemical Society Science Communication Prize’.The prize has always attracted an international portfolio of engaging and creative voices, and the 2021 edition was no exception. Entries had to be bioscience themed and aimed at the general public and were accepted as written pieces of up to 1500 words or in a media format – such as video or audio, 2–5 minutes long – across two categories: one open to foundation/undergraduate students and another to postgraduate students.The Biochemical Society and the prize judges were impressed with the number of very high standard entries, making competition for this year’s prize as fierce as in previous rounds. These entries were judged by a panel of four experts across science communication practice: Dr Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager at the Leverhulme Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee, and Science Editor for The Biochemist), Dr Sorrel Bunting (Head of Communities and Engagement at Springer Nature Group), Dr Anthea Lacchia (freelance science writer and journalist, audio producer and science communicator) and Joe Burton (Education and Public Engagement Manager at the Linnean Society).The Society is pleased to celebrate the 2021 Biochemical Society Science Communication Prize winners, all of them video entries! The winners of each category receives a cash prize – £300 for the first prize, £200 for the second prize and £100 for the third prize – and access to a mentoring session with an experienced science communicator who can provide advice based on their own career experiences. This prize follows a continued recognition from the Biochemical Society of the importance of science communication and outreach practice and training, which includes the Scientific Outreach Grants and the Introduction to Public Engagement and Science Policy online course.The winning entries in the foundation/undergraduate category covered biomolecular topics as wide as painkillers and the answer to the age-old question ‘How much coffee is too much?’ Resorting to an impressive array of creative techniques, from digital to stop-motion animation, these videos showcased clear and engaging science with remarkable media mastery.The first prize in the foundation/undergraduate category went to Faye Singleton, a third-year undergraduate studying biomedical sciences at the University of York. On receiving the prize, Faye commented: “I've been making YouTube videos since I was 10 years old and have built my audience to 25,000 subscribers. I now focus my videos on all aspects of student life. I wanted to create a topic on something that could be useful to the general public. After some research I found a news article surrounding the adverse effects of Paracetamol. I felt the mechanism to how the drug works as well as the potential dangers of it, were not so commonly known within the general public. This was my gap! I decided to illustrate the complexity of this painkiller into an easy-to-understand narrative, hoping to inform my audience. I was over the moon to find I had received first place in this competition. I'm hoping to pursue a career in medical science communications and hopefully this is just the beginning!”The postgraduate category comprised another inspiring set of prize-winning videos. The first prize went to Madeleine Ball, a PhD student at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. On her prize-winning entry, Madeleine said: “I decided to make my video about the Sonic Hedgehog gene because I had heard about it before even going to university – it made me smile and realise that science wasn’t just about very serious academic pursuits, but that there was light-heartedness and a human-side behind scientific work also.”Madeleine also added: “I love science, and getting the chance to communicate what I’m so passionate about is something that I’ve always wanted to do – this competition was the first time I ever made any video, or piece of science communication aimed at the public and I’m thrilled it went so well! Winning this prize has motivated me to continue making science videos, and has reminded me that no matter where my scientific career may take me, I can embrace the human side of research and keep having fun with it.”The six winning entries can be viewed on the Science Communication Prize webpage hosted on Biochemical Society website.

From the Chief Executive and IFST News

From the Chief Executive and <scp>IFST</scp> News

Apples is apples, unless they're not

This is the ninth year the Biochemical Society has run the Science Communication Competition. The competition aims to give talented young science communicators the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. This year's competition attracted entries from around the world covering a wide variety of topics, in both the written and video categories. The entries were judged by our expert panel of judges. In this issue we are proud to present the third place entry from the written category by Katie Ember.

Fighting for your life

This is the ninth year the Biochemical Society has run the Science Communication Competition. The competition aims to give talented young science communicators the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. This year's competition attracted entries from around the world covering a wide variety of topics, in both the written and video categories. The entries were judged by our expert panel of judges. In this issue we are proud to present the second place entry from the written category by Patrick D.A. Shearer.

A Tale of Two Twins

This is the ninth year the Biochemical Society has run the Science Communication Competition. The competition aims to give talented young science communicators the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. This year's competition attracted entries from around the world covering a wide variety of topics, in both the written and video categories. The entries were judged by our expert panel of judges. In this issue we are proud to present the winning entry from the written category by Judy Sayers from the University of Cambridge.

FameLab USA: Improving Science Communication Skills for Early Career Scientists.

FameLab International is a science communication competition for early career scientists pioneered by the Cheltenham Science Festival in the United Kingdom in 2005. At its heart is training in the best practices and techniques of good communication. NASA's Astrobiology Program and its partners implemented FameLab USA, one of over 30 implementations around the globe, from 2012 to 2016. FameLab USA's focus was on providing high-quality training for participants and equipping and empowering early career scientists to become skilled, confident communicators of science. The impacts of FameLab USA on participants have been studied, and results from these analyses are presented here. Significant gains in skills for all participants were documented, especially their ability to make better connections with audiences and use thematic structural elements to organize a presentation. Participants reported gaining confidence in their ability to communicate and expanding their self-identity to include "science communicator" in addition to "scientist." They also reported that the FameLab experience increased the likelihood that they would look for communications opportunities and meet challenges presented by their institutional environment to engaging in communication. The overall conclusion is that improving and expanding communication skills and attitudes have changed how participants value communicating about their work and how competent they feel in doing so, which leads to their communicating more often.

Forensic DNA phenotyping: the geneticist's guide to solving murder mysteries

The Science Communication Competition is now in its eighth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall this year's competition attracted 47 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The third prize in the written category was awarded to Corina Lagewaard from the University of Tasmania, whose article is presented here. The third prize in the video category went to Julia Schulz from the University of Kentucky. Julia's video, “The BloodBrain Barrier – Protecting the Body's Control Center”, can be viewed at bit.ly/scicomm32018.

A life without microbes: How “germ-free” research is revealing the necessity of bacteria for our brains

The Science Communication Competition is now in its eighth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall this year's competition attracted 74 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The second prize in the written category was awarded to Jenna Herbert from the University of Oxford, whose article is presented here; the second prize in the video category was Ellie Staniforth from the University of Glasgow. Ellie's video can be viewed at bit.ly/scicomm22018.

Paying it forward as a mentor.

The undergrad joining the lab where I worked as a research fellow certainly knew how to make a first impression. “I looked up your work—cool stuff!” he said when we first met. “Fancy working with the best? That's me, of course!” He was clearly smart and ambitious. But I wasn't sure I was qualified to take someone under my wing. I had only started in research 2 years earlier, after finishing my medical degree. The bigger hurdle was the pressure to “publish or perish,” which made me hesitant to take on extra responsibilities. But, as I reflected on my own path into research and the crucial role played by my mentor, I realized that I needed to pay it forward. ![Figure][1] ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKER > “[My mentor's] character inspired me, and hopefully I will inspire my mentees.” I had always been interested in research. But for various reasons, I initially pursued medicine—until my medical school's final requirement that I complete a brief clinical training period elsewhere led to a serendipitous meeting. I was waiting outside my clinical supervisor's office when the prominent professor who worked in the next office came by. I knew who he was, and I was impressed with his lab's work developing breast cancer drugs, but I didn't expect him to recognize me. I was startled when he said, “I see you in every meeting. What are you working on?” I told him about myself and my work, and our conversation continued for more than an hour. His respectful, down-to-earth demeanor immediately made me feel at ease. He seemed to really care about what I had to say. When he learned that I was interested in research, he gave me a stack of papers to read and told me that he might have a spot for me in his lab. I didn't understand why this famous scientist would make space for me, someone with no research experience. But he saw something in me. After a proper interview, and finishing my medical degree, I joined the lab. In the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing. But my mentor was understanding and patient. With his support, I got my footing and was starting to feel like a real scientist. Now, it was time for me to do this for someone else. When I started as a mentor, I struggled a bit. I worried about accidentally teaching my mentee something inaccurate. Adjusting my teaching style to suit his learning curve was challenging at times. But we were patient with each other and worked together to develop a productive relationship. Following my own mentor's approach, I treated every encounter as a meeting of equals and encouraged open communication. My mentee asked tough questions. He challenged me and proved me wrong at times. And I loved it. By the end of his summer in the lab, I had a newfound appreciation for the rewards of being a mentor. Mentorship sharpened my communication, teaching, and technical skills, and it gave me a sense of purpose, confidence, and fulfillment. Since that undergrad left our lab, I have continued serving as a mentor for other students. Each relationship is enriching in its own way. Recently, for example, I learned how to support a mentee through failure. My current mentee and I had worked tirelessly to prepare for her university's undergraduate research competition, but she didn't win and was quite disappointed. I didn't want this one setback to extinguish her fire for research, so it was up to me to provide a positive, encouraging perspective. I took her out for dinner to celebrate her will to compete and the experience she had gained. And I told her about a recent disappointment of my own—losing a science communication competition—to show her that she was not alone. I was recently accepted into a split-site Ph.D. program at another institution, through which I will earn my research doctorate while continuing my current projects in my mentor's lab. This opportunity was only possible because my mentor took a chance on me. His character inspired me, and hopefully I will inspire my mentees similarly. There are many amazing individuals waiting for someone to apply just enough pressure to turn them from rock to diamond. We must all try to be those “someones.” [1]: pending:yes

About cats, mice and behaviour-changing parasites

The Science Communication Competition is now in its eighth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall this year's competition attracted 74 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The first prize in the written category was awarded to Victoria Bolton from the University of Glasgow, whose article is presented here; the winner of the video category was Jirayu Tanprasertsuk from Tufts University. Jirayu's winning video can be viewed at bit.ly/scicommvid2018.

Announcing the winners of our 50th Anniversary Science Communication Competition.

The FEBS Journal is pleased to announce the three winners of its 50th Anniversary Science Communication Competition. Read on to see their prize-winning entries!

How to make a magneticallycontrolled mouse

The Science Communication Competition is now in its sixth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall this year's competition attracted 62 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The first prize in the written category was awarded to Donald Iain MacDonald from University College London, whose article is presented here; the winner of the video category was Joe Tickle from the University of Birmingham. Joe Tickle's winning video can be viewed on the Society's website: [http://bit.ly/2a6Wq2l]

From bark to bacteria: the natural sources of modern medicine

The Science Communication Competition is now in its fifth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall, this year's competition attracted 47 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The third prize in the written category was awarded to Rosemary Chamberlain, University of Oxford, whose article is presented here; the runner up of the video category was Milana Trepetova, Imperial College London. Milana Trepetova's video can be viewed on the Society's website: http://bit.ly/1kxt8eH The Science Communication Competition will open again in January 2016. Please visit our website for more details: www.biochemistry.org/GetInvolved/ScienceCommunicationCompetition

Norman Heatley: the forgotten man of penicillin

The Science Communication Competition is now in its fifth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall, this year's competition attracted 47 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The second prize in the written category was awarded to Paul Brack from Loughborough University, whose article is presented here.

James and the Giant Gene

The Science Communication Competition is now in its fifth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall this year's competition attracted 47 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The first prize in the written category was awarded to Emma Yhnell from Cardiff University, whose article is presented here; the winner of the video category was Chris Morgan from the University of Birmingham. Chris Morgan's winning video can be viewed on the Society's website: http://bit.ly/1kxt8eH

Science Communication Competition

The Science Communication Competition, launched in the Society's Centenary year, is now an annual event. It aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published, both online and in The Biochemist. The competition attracted lots of entries, and these are the second and third prize winners.

In the heavens as it is on Earth

The Science Communication Competition, launched in the Society's Centenary year, is now an annual event. It aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published, both online and in The Biochemist. The competition attracted lots of entries, and the second and third prize winners follow.

Science Communication Competition runner-up articles

After the success of the first Science Communication Competition, launched in the Society's Centenary year, it was decided that the competition would run as an annual activity. It aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published, both online and in The Biochemist. The competition attracted lots of entries, and the overall winner for 2012 was Vikramaditya Yadav (see the last issue of The Biochemist). Articles from the runners-up, Nicole Antonio and Alexa Cleasby, follow.

Science Communication Competition

After the success of the first Science Communication Competition, launched in the Society's Centenary year, it was decided that the competition would run as an annual activity. It aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published, both online and in The Biochemist. The competition attracted lots of entries, and the overall winner for 2012 was Vikramaditya Yadav, a postgraduate student studying Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose article Winning the drug lottery follows.