A group of neuroscience students are taking science communication into their own hands, and broadcasting their discoveries to the world on YouTube. Brain Bytes, a talk show-style web series, tells the stories of neuroscience discoveries in a way that’s accessible to colleagues and neuroscience neophytes alike.
“We realized that when we share our research, it’s usually at talks and conferences that are often to the scientific community,” explains series co-creator Sonja Soo, a neuroscience master’s student in Dr. Cheryl Wellington’s lab. “We wanted to look beyond the scope of science conferences and local events, and really reach a worldwide audience.”
To do that, they have begun collaborating with students in UBC’s Graduate School of Journalism.
“This is definitely a team effort,” says co-creator Alyssa Ash, a neuroscience master’s student in Dr. Jason Snyder’s lab. “We’re lucky to have had supportive faculty behind us – Dr. Tim O’Connor has given us ongoing support and sponsorship, and we have often consulted with Dr. Julie Robillardover issues in science communication. And working with Michael Ruffolo in Journalism has helped us really flesh out our vision: he’s the main director for these videos and does everything from pre-production to filming to video editing.”
Explaining the science and telling lab stories is only part of the reason for Brain Bytes. As it becomes increasingly imperative that scientists engage with the public, the Brain Bytes initiative provides essential opportunities for learning.
“We hope that with these videos, we will bridge the gap between scientists and the public,” explains Soo. “But also we hope that from this we, as scientists, will learn how to effectively communicate our work to non-scientists, and contribute to improving public perceptions of science.”
