UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “At the Franklin Institute [in Philadelphia], we realized that the personal impact for the Your Brain exhibit was important in the visitor experience,” said Jayatri Das, director of science content and chief bioscientist at the Franklin Institute. “For exhibits, we have to be open to giving people their own connection points, rather than feeling like we have to package the story a specific way. It’s different from journalism, but I wanted to share that because I think that’s something scientists can do when they’re doing outreach and more personal conversations.”
Das, a biochemistry and molecular biology Penn State alumna, joined Jon Hamilton, a correspondent for NPR’s Science Desk, and Aubrey Whelan, a public health reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, for a panel discussion on science communication, called “Sharing your science: Communicating from the lab to society,” at the 2025 Big Ten Neuroscience Annual Meeting, hosted by Penn State at the Nittany Lion Inn on July 21-22.
The discussion covered a broad range of science communications topics, like storytelling and outreach, communicating science in the digital age, tailoring messaging for and building bridges with diverse audiences, and analyzing the state of media and the need for increased science communication experts.
Panelists also shared tips for how researchers can elevate their science communication to better connect with the wider world: like defining your goals and audience or sharing a personal example.
On the importance of storytelling and connecting with readers, Hamilton noted that having a personal example or voice can be very compelling.
“When I think about the last pitch I got that really resulted in a story I spent a lot of time on, it came from someone I had worked with before. It was about a new Alzheimer’s treatment and just one patient,” Hamilton said. “Having someone the audience can connect with gives readers a way in; it’s someone they can relate to.”
Whelan echoed the importance of creating relatability.
“I typically cover addiction, and as the language and conception of addiction has shifted to viewing it as a disease, it has become easier to report on because I am sharing the stories of people who have lived through it,” she said. “I think sharing their experiences helps people relate.”
The lunchtime discussion was sponsored by the Penn State Eberly College of Science, with support from the Johnson Lectureship in Scientific Communication, and moderated by Heather Robbins, director of the Office of Communications in the college.
It was part of a two-day lineup of featured panels, keynote presentations and poster sessions from the translational neuroscience perspective, from bench to bedside, at the fourth annual neuroscience event. Led by Nikki Crowley, director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute at University Park, assistant professor of biology and of biomedical engineering and Huck Early Career Chair in Neurobiology and Neural Engineering, the meeting was organized by members of the neuroscience community in the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
“With this year’s theme of ‘WE ARE Building Flourishing Brains,’ we took the approach of thinking broadly about the convergence of many different approaches that lead to the healthiest brain possible,” Crowley said. “Having a science communication panel gave us the perspective of understanding how neuroscience can be shared with a broad audience.”
The meeting highlighted research from undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and early career faculty from all 18 Big Ten universities, as well as universities in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions.
Keynote speakers from the neuroscience communities included Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke within the National Institutes of Health; Catherine Kaczorowski, Elinor Levine Professor of Dementia Research and professor of neurology, University of Michigan; Koraly Perez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of Child Studies and professor of psychology and member of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute, Penn State; and Justin Ichida, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, University of Southern California. Two evening events highlighted how neuroscience intersects with various disciplines, including an event at the Palmer Museum of Art and a reception at the Penn State Pegula Ice Arena.
About the Penn State Neuroscience Institute (PSNI)
The Penn State Neuroscience Institute (PSNI), part of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, supports research in molecular, cellular, systems, and computational, translational, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. The institute includes more than 100 faculty across 25 departments and more than 50 graduate students.
About the Johnson Lecture in Scientific Communication
The A. Dixon and Betty F. Johnson Lectureship in Scientific Communication supports an annual lecture in scientific communication in the Eberly College of Science. The lecture was established in 2005 in memory of A. Dixon Johnson, a former University director of Public Information. Johnson worked as a Penn State science writer and public information director for many years.