Communicating Research to the Real World through News Media and MoreKara Gavin
A presentation about interacting with news media, institutional communicators and general audiences directly, created for the CHOP Fellows at the University of Michigan, October, 2020
Communicating for a Research InstitutionKara Gavin
Introduction to why universities and other research institutions employ science/medical communicators, and what their role is and how they can coordinate among communicators from different areas of the same institution or across institutions. Also includes slides on public understanding of science.
A presentation to early-career health services researchers about working with institutional communicators, interacting with the media, and using social media to advance their professional careers.
Researchers, Reporters & Everything in BetweenKara Gavin
A talk about how academic researchers can understand and navigate the news media and institutional communications landscape, prepared for the University of Michigan National Clinician Scholars Program
A guide for STEM graduate students in the RELATE program at the University of Michigan about communicating directly with the general public and working with institutional communicators and reporters
Communicating Research to the Real World through News Media and MoreKara Gavin
A presentation about interacting with news media, institutional communicators and general audiences directly, created for the CHOP Fellows at the University of Michigan, October, 2020
Communicating for a Research InstitutionKara Gavin
Introduction to why universities and other research institutions employ science/medical communicators, and what their role is and how they can coordinate among communicators from different areas of the same institution or across institutions. Also includes slides on public understanding of science.
A presentation to early-career health services researchers about working with institutional communicators, interacting with the media, and using social media to advance their professional careers.
Researchers, Reporters & Everything in BetweenKara Gavin
A talk about how academic researchers can understand and navigate the news media and institutional communications landscape, prepared for the University of Michigan National Clinician Scholars Program
A guide for STEM graduate students in the RELATE program at the University of Michigan about communicating directly with the general public and working with institutional communicators and reporters
Only Connect: Media, social media & beyondKara Gavin
A presentation combining elements of general lay-language communication, media relations, institutional outreach and social media for academic researchers & clinicians. Originally presented to University of Michigan Dept. of Psychiatry faculty/postdocs May 2017
Only Connect: Reaching New Audiences via Public Relations & External Communic...Kara Gavin
Presented to faculty, staff and students on Sept. 15, 2016, as part of the University of Michigan Medical School's Communicating Science series. Addresses how academics can and should engage in the public sphere directly and with the help of institutional communicators. (https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/research/events/public-relations-external-audience-communication )
A recording of my talk is available at https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/research/office-research/research-news-events/communicating-science-seminar-series
Reputable Sources in a Pandemic: How to Find and Evaluate Information You Can...Kara Gavin
A look at the news media and medical publishing realms in the time of COVID-19, with information and resources for finding and evaluating information.
Presented 2/12/21 to the Metropolitan Detroit Medical Library Group
Communicating via media and opinion writingKara Gavin
A presentation given to University of Michigan medical students in early March 2023, covering how to connect with the news media and writing opinion pieces for academic and mass media outlets.
Creating your personal brand and communicating work CSP students.pptxKara Gavin
A slide set presented to summer students in health services research at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation in July 2022, about the current communications ecosystem and how they can use it to build their personal professional brand.
This lecture talks about the importance of evidence in scientific, business, and innovation research. It lists down important examples to carry this process in perspective of the problem statement.
Information for health care researchers on understanding the information landscape in which they can build their own "brand" through social media and more.
This is a presentation I gave as part of an NIHR masterclass event for its trainees earlier this year. It seemed to go down well and hopefully there are some useful pointers in here for people communicating about health research or science.
Orientation to UACOM-T MD Curriculum July 21 2020Janet Corral
Welcome MedCats 2024! Here is the overview of the shift in thinking for medical school, and for a hybrid learning year. Looking forward to the journey, together!
Communicating Conflict of Interest 2024.pptxKara Gavin
Guide for communicators at the University of Michigan about why, when and how they should mention individual and institutional conflicts of interest related to anything they're communicating about
175 years of U-M Medical "Firsts" Michigan Medicine HistoryKara Gavin
An overview of the history of the U-M Medical School and health system, now called Michigan Medicine, with a focus on people, buildings and clinical/scientific achievements that were "firsts" in the nation or state, or for U-M.
Preparted for the History Club of the Ann Arbor City Club in October 2023.
Only Connect: Media, social media & beyondKara Gavin
A presentation combining elements of general lay-language communication, media relations, institutional outreach and social media for academic researchers & clinicians. Originally presented to University of Michigan Dept. of Psychiatry faculty/postdocs May 2017
Only Connect: Reaching New Audiences via Public Relations & External Communic...Kara Gavin
Presented to faculty, staff and students on Sept. 15, 2016, as part of the University of Michigan Medical School's Communicating Science series. Addresses how academics can and should engage in the public sphere directly and with the help of institutional communicators. (https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/research/events/public-relations-external-audience-communication )
A recording of my talk is available at https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/research/office-research/research-news-events/communicating-science-seminar-series
Reputable Sources in a Pandemic: How to Find and Evaluate Information You Can...Kara Gavin
A look at the news media and medical publishing realms in the time of COVID-19, with information and resources for finding and evaluating information.
Presented 2/12/21 to the Metropolitan Detroit Medical Library Group
Communicating via media and opinion writingKara Gavin
A presentation given to University of Michigan medical students in early March 2023, covering how to connect with the news media and writing opinion pieces for academic and mass media outlets.
Creating your personal brand and communicating work CSP students.pptxKara Gavin
A slide set presented to summer students in health services research at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation in July 2022, about the current communications ecosystem and how they can use it to build their personal professional brand.
This lecture talks about the importance of evidence in scientific, business, and innovation research. It lists down important examples to carry this process in perspective of the problem statement.
Information for health care researchers on understanding the information landscape in which they can build their own "brand" through social media and more.
This is a presentation I gave as part of an NIHR masterclass event for its trainees earlier this year. It seemed to go down well and hopefully there are some useful pointers in here for people communicating about health research or science.
Orientation to UACOM-T MD Curriculum July 21 2020Janet Corral
Welcome MedCats 2024! Here is the overview of the shift in thinking for medical school, and for a hybrid learning year. Looking forward to the journey, together!
Communicating Conflict of Interest 2024.pptxKara Gavin
Guide for communicators at the University of Michigan about why, when and how they should mention individual and institutional conflicts of interest related to anything they're communicating about
175 years of U-M Medical "Firsts" Michigan Medicine HistoryKara Gavin
An overview of the history of the U-M Medical School and health system, now called Michigan Medicine, with a focus on people, buildings and clinical/scientific achievements that were "firsts" in the nation or state, or for U-M.
Preparted for the History Club of the Ann Arbor City Club in October 2023.
LinkedIn for researchers: More than just a CV!Kara Gavin
A presentation given to members and staff of the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center and Dept. of Psychiatry about using LinkedIn as professionals and researchers.
A video recording of this session, which also includes 30 minutes of demonstration of LinkedIn features, is available on request.
Creating your personal brand and communicating work geriatricsKara Gavin
A presentation for the University of Michigan Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine/Claude Pepper Center, given Jan. 21, 2021. Includes information about working with institutional communicators, using social media as a researcher, and writing commentary pieces for the general public.
Presentation about creating opinion and explainer pieces for The Conversation and other sites, originally developed for a class at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
Creating your personal brand and communicating as a health researcherKara Gavin
A presentation given to the University of Michigan NCSP and WIDTH groups in summer 2020, about how early-career healthcare researchers can build their personal brands and leverage institutional communications help to amplify their work.
A primer on creating visual abstract to summarize research papers and other research products. Co-presented with a graphic designer (Emily Smith) at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation
Writing for The Conversation & Beyond - opinion, commentary & explainers for ...Kara Gavin
Presented to faculty and trainees of the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, August 2018
Adapted from a presentation developed with Elyse Aurbach and Brian Zikmund-Fisher
Expanding your horizons: communications for health service research staffKara Gavin
An overview of research-related media relations and social media. Presented to the research staff and trainees of several U-M health services research centers June 2018
Tips for academics (especially at the University of Michigan's Michigan Medicine academic medical center) about immediate response steps if they are contacted by a reporter
A brief information about the SCOP protein database used in bioinformatics.
The Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database is a comprehensive and authoritative resource for the structural and evolutionary relationships of proteins. It provides a detailed and curated classification of protein structures, grouping them into families, superfamilies, and folds based on their structural and sequence similarities.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE SAMPLE RETURN.Sérgio Sacani
The return of a sample of near-surface atmosphere from Mars would facilitate answers to several first-order science questions surrounding the formation and evolution of the planet. One of the important aspects of terrestrial planet formation in general is the role that primary atmospheres played in influencing the chemistry and structure of the planets and their antecedents. Studies of the martian atmosphere can be used to investigate the role of a primary atmosphere in its history. Atmosphere samples would also inform our understanding of the near-surface chemistry of the planet, and ultimately the prospects for life. High-precision isotopic analyses of constituent gases are needed to address these questions, requiring that the analyses are made on returned samples rather than in situ.
Earliest Galaxies in the JADES Origins Field: Luminosity Function and Cosmic ...Sérgio Sacani
We characterize the earliest galaxy population in the JADES Origins Field (JOF), the deepest
imaging field observed with JWST. We make use of the ancillary Hubble optical images (5 filters
spanning 0.4−0.9µm) and novel JWST images with 14 filters spanning 0.8−5µm, including 7 mediumband filters, and reaching total exposure times of up to 46 hours per filter. We combine all our data
at > 2.3µm to construct an ultradeep image, reaching as deep as ≈ 31.4 AB mag in the stack and
30.3-31.0 AB mag (5σ, r = 0.1” circular aperture) in individual filters. We measure photometric
redshifts and use robust selection criteria to identify a sample of eight galaxy candidates at redshifts
z = 11.5 − 15. These objects show compact half-light radii of R1/2 ∼ 50 − 200pc, stellar masses of
M⋆ ∼ 107−108M⊙, and star-formation rates of SFR ∼ 0.1−1 M⊙ yr−1
. Our search finds no candidates
at 15 < z < 20, placing upper limits at these redshifts. We develop a forward modeling approach to
infer the properties of the evolving luminosity function without binning in redshift or luminosity that
marginalizes over the photometric redshift uncertainty of our candidate galaxies and incorporates the
impact of non-detections. We find a z = 12 luminosity function in good agreement with prior results,
and that the luminosity function normalization and UV luminosity density decline by a factor of ∼ 2.5
from z = 12 to z = 14. We discuss the possible implications of our results in the context of theoretical
models for evolution of the dark matter halo mass function.
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
Cancer cell metabolism: special Reference to Lactate PathwayAADYARAJPANDEY1
Normal Cell Metabolism:
Cellular respiration describes the series of steps that cells use to break down sugar and other chemicals to get the energy we need to function.
Energy is stored in the bonds of glucose and when glucose is broken down, much of that energy is released.
Cell utilize energy in the form of ATP.
The first step of respiration is called glycolysis. In a series of steps, glycolysis breaks glucose into two smaller molecules - a chemical called pyruvate. A small amount of ATP is formed during this process.
Most healthy cells continue the breakdown in a second process, called the Kreb's cycle. The Kreb's cycle allows cells to “burn” the pyruvates made in glycolysis to get more ATP.
The last step in the breakdown of glucose is called oxidative phosphorylation (Ox-Phos).
It takes place in specialized cell structures called mitochondria. This process produces a large amount of ATP. Importantly, cells need oxygen to complete oxidative phosphorylation.
If a cell completes only glycolysis, only 2 molecules of ATP are made per glucose. However, if the cell completes the entire respiration process (glycolysis - Kreb's - oxidative phosphorylation), about 36 molecules of ATP are created, giving it much more energy to use.
IN CANCER CELL:
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
introduction to WARBERG PHENOMENA:
WARBURG EFFECT Usually, cancer cells are highly glycolytic (glucose addiction) and take up more glucose than do normal cells from outside.
Otto Heinrich Warburg (; 8 October 1883 – 1 August 1970) In 1931 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his "discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme.
WARNBURG EFFECT : cancer cells under aerobic (well-oxygenated) conditions to metabolize glucose to lactate (aerobic glycolysis) is known as the Warburg effect. Warburg made the observation that tumor slices consume glucose and secrete lactate at a higher rate than normal tissues.
1. Talking to
the “real world”
Kara Gavin, M.S.
Lead Public Relations Representative,
Michigan Medicine
Dept. of Communication & IHPI
Communicating Science
to General Audiences
2. Who am I?
• Member of Michigan Medicine Dept. of Communication
• Trained in biology, science writing & journalism
• Cover health care research, mental health, basic science
• 20+ years’ experience publicizing research
3. • Find & tell stories
• Handle news media inquiries
• Push stories out any way I can
• Help researchers understand/use
communication channels
What do I do?
4. Why does U-M have staff like me?
• our institution’s work should reach people who care
• our expertise can have impact
• taxpayers & policymakers who fund research
need to know what they’re paying for
• most people need science/medicine translated
Because…
6. You
• Papers
• Talks/posters
• Tweets/posts
• Commentaries
Comm
Staff
• U-M/Michigan Med.
• School/college
• Center/institute/dept.
The
world
• Reporters
• Policymakers
• Advocates
• Clinicians & Patients
• Funders/Donors
• Professional societies
• Industry
• General public
The U-M
communications
ecosystem
11. Science literacy of American adults
•20% can explain how to study something scientifically
•34% can describe how to test a drug
•55% say that astrology is “not at all scientific”
•25% say that genetic modification of crop plants
could be “very” or “extremely dangerous.”
•56% say animal research is acceptable
Science and Engineering Indicators, 2014 report
12. What do they think about science?
Pew Research Center’s US survey 2019 (left) and International
Science Survey 2019–2020 (right)
13. How did the
pandemic
change things?
Pew Trusts 2020 (December)
https://www.pewresearch.org/science
/2020/05/21/trust-in-medical-
scientists-has-grown-in-u-s-but-
mainly-among-democrats/
15. What do they know?
•71%: mental illness is a medical condition that
affects the brain
•69%: a genetic code in cells helps determine
who we are
•53%: childhood vaccines are safe and
effective
•31%: life evolved through natural selection
AP poll published April 2014;
1,012 adults rated themselves extremely confident or very confident in a
scientific concept
16. Are genetically modified foods safe to eat?
Scientists: 88% Public: 37%
Should childhood vaccines be required?
Scientists: 86% Public: 68%
Is research involving animals OK?
Scientists: 89% Public: 47%
Did humans “evolve”?
Scientists: 98% Public: 65%
The survey of the general public was conducted using a probability-based sample of the adult population by landline and
cellular telephone Aug. 15-25, 2014, with a representative sample of 2,002 adults nationwide.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/
Public views vs. scientists’ views
17. Where they’re getting science info
Pew Research Center – Sept. 2017
http://www.journalism.org/2017/09/20/science-news-and-information-today/
81% watch
science-related
entertainment
media
18. Researchers & policymakers
• Policy should be based on evidence
• Formal testimony, informal
conversations, service on advisory
committees, briefs & one-pagers
• Staffers may have little or no
medical/scientific background
• Tendency to seize on controversies
and what’s in the news
20. For 200 years…
•Information flowed to the public
from officials via gatekeepers:
• News media
• Entertainment & publishing industry
• Educators & librarians
• Journalists as the ‘fourth estate’: A watchdog of society
• Academic research as source of expertise/new knowledge
21. Last 20 years…
• Traditional news
media’s gatekeeper &
watchdog role has
eroded with its
business model.
22. What makes a reporter tick?
• Most serve a general audience
• Little scientific knowledge
• Need to know implications for ordinary people
• Most are on tight deadlines
• Most have little space/time to tell the story
• ALL value their independence
• You probably won’t see the questions or their story
ahead of time
23. Tips for media interactions
• Prepare three key points
• Have supporting statistics & context ready
• Use layperson’s terms & conversational tone
• Respect deadlines
• Understand the news outlet
• Assess reporter’s level of understanding
• Respect their independence
24. Use the time AHEAD of publication
The “Scout’s honor” embargo
system for research news
• Institution/journal reaches
out to reporters a few days ahead
• Reporter agrees not to publish or broadcast
results until a set date/time
• Used by all major journals &
scientific/medical societies
25. The embargo system
•Increases the newsworthiness
of research news
•Gives institutions time to prepare
text, graphics, video
•Gives reporters time to prepare
stories on complex issues, and
increases accuracy/balance
26. Preprints & “science by press release”
Do
research
Compile
results
Give talks
or posters
Write
papers
Get peer-
reviewed
Make
changes
Get
published
Maybe
publicity
Traditional medical & scientific process
Do
research
Compile
results
Write a
preprint
Post to
server
Get peer-
reviewed
Make
changes
Get
published
Seek
publicity
Accelerated/altered path since COVID-19
Journalists or
social media users
Press release
but little data
“Raw” version
online
Occasional
publicity
29. What does this mean for science?
• Patients, donors, advocates find info on their own
• Social media reaches people directly
• Visuals are vital
• Rapid response to crisis/controversy is expected
If it’s not on the Web, and not easily found,
it doesn’t exist!
30. 30
michiganhealthlab.org
michiganhealthblog.org
“Brand journalism”
• New stories daily
• Research news & health advice
• Aimed at professionals & public
• Jump on timely news topics
• Shared on web, social media & email
• Optimized for search engine visibility
• 10.3M total views in FY22
(July 2021-June 2022)
31. Track research “buzz” via Altmetrics
• Aggregates activity around journal articles:
• media coverage
• blog posts
• social media activity
• Traces links to/mentions of papers by DOI
• Assigns a score & percentile
• Not perfect! But getting better
32. But there can never be
enough people like ME
to tell the public about
what people like YOU do.
33. You can communicate directly!
• Your own tweets, LinkedIn posts, website
• Grant applications
• IRB-reviewed materials
• Journals and major meetings
• Reaching scientists in other disciplines
• Talking to donors, legislators
• Public events:
Nerd Nite, Science Café, Science by the Pint, TED
35. • What are they looking for?
• What do they know about the topic?
• Why should they care?
• Will they understand your jargon,
acronyms, abbreviations?
Who’s Your Audience?
38. Make it clear who does what:
• A frog was swallowed.
• Fred swallowed a frog.
Avoids awkwardness:
• Eye examinations and vision tests are covered in the plan.
• This plan covers eye exams and vision tests.
Saves time:
• The application must be completed by the applicant and
received by the financial office by June 1st. (17 words)
• We must receive your application
by June 1st. (8 words)
39. Don’t be afraid of pronouns!
•Pull readers into a document and
make it relevant to them
•Reader needs to do less “translation”
•Humanizes scientists
•Let you eliminate a lot of words
•Your team = “we”
•The reader = “you”
•Define who’s who
40. Jargon
(Words that are not in the common vocabulary, or words that people
in a certain field use in a different way from how others use them)
42. Avoid:
•Undefined abbreviations & acronyms
• Spell them out, give the acronym, and use it
•Multiple terms for the same thing
• Brain tumor, brain cancer
and brain neoplasm
•Strings of nouns
•“Surface water quality protection procedures”
…and by using illustrations & glossaries
46. Testing readability
• Flesch-Kincaid readability test:
• File Options Proofing
• Show Readability Statistics.
• Define scientific terms, take them
out of the text temporarily, run
Spelling check.
• If you get a score over
8th grade, revise!
48. Place words carefully
• Keep subjects & objects
close to their verbs
• Put conditionals such as
“only” or “always” next to
words they modify
49. Short sentences & paragraphs
• More manageable,
• Less intimidating
• Avoid confusion
• White space and headings:
clues to what’s important
• One subject in each sentence
• One topic in each paragraph
• introduce your topic in the first sentence
50. What should you aim for?
• Average sentence length:
20 words
• Maximum sentence length:
40 words
• One subject per sentence,
one topic per paragraph
51. Good design helps understanding
• Use bulleted lists
• Add blank space for easy reading
• Show all items or steps in a
process
• Make a table to save words
52. DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPITALS.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ.
Instead:
Emphasize critical information by putting it in a box
Put important words/phrases in bold print
Change font color for emphasis
Increase the font size to make key info stand out
53. During the first phase of your treatment you will be
receiving chemotherapy and radiation at the same time,
this is also called “concurrent” treatment. This phase will
last for 10 weeks and includes six weeks of treatment and a
four week break at the end. After the break you will have an
MRI and lab work done, and then may start cyclic Temodar
treatment, which is discussed in another handout.
54. Weeks 1-5 Radiation Monday-Friday
Temodar every day
Labs/Blood draw once a week
Weeks 6-10 Break
At the end of the 10th week:
MRI and labs
Week 11 Start cyclic Temodar treatment
55. Use these resources!
Resources for communicating with press & public https://www.slideshare.net/KaraGavin
AAAS Communication Toolkit
https://www.aaas.org/resources/communication-toolkit
NIH Checklist for Communicating Science & Health to the Public:
http://michmed.org/EzD1O
Health News Review: Health research communication:
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/toolkit/
Logos, photos, templates:
U-M: http://vpcomm.umich.edu/brand/home
Michigan Medicine: http://www.med.umich.edu/branding/
56. Your duty as a scientist
•Engage with laypeople of all kinds
•Speak their language
•Listen, don’t just tell
•Don’t just hope someone else will do it!
•See it as part of your career
