Talking about science is fun, but what's really exciting is when someone who doesn't spend all day looking at your data, can nod their head in understanding when you start rambling about why one model is better than another. It turns out science is complicated, but there are some easy tricks for finding the core ideas and demonstrating them to a new audience. It also turns out this is an essential skill in all things science from publishing, presenting, and getting grants. My training as a communication fellow started at MIT and has continued at Stanford. These are a smattering of experiences that have helped me grow as a coach, educator, and scientist.
MIT Biological Engineering Communications Lab - 2013-2016
As an inaugural fellow with the Biological Engineering (BE) Communications Lab, I became a coach for all things communication related - lab reports, scientific papers, conference presentations, grant and fellowship applications, and resumes/CVs. I learned that a crucial part of the communication coaching role is asking the right questions to discover the roots of complex scientific ideas. Through asking these questions, I could enable scientists to develop more streamlined figures or create concise scientific content for their fellowship applications. Further, I developed content for the Communication Lab's CommKit resource that is still in use today: http://mitcommlab.mit.edu/be/use-the-commkit/
Seminars:
"Making the match: applying to graduate school and writing fellowships" Laureates and Leaders Program, September 2013
"Writing for impact: succeeding with the NSF application" 20.416 Biological Engineering Class Lecture, October 2013
Stanford Grant Writing Academy - 2018-current
More recently, I've joined the Grant Writing Academy (GWA) at Stanford which runs various programs for students and postdocs in the biosciences. I've developed specific content on writing personal statements for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and developed tools for promoting an effective writing practice. My ambitions with the GWA are to further develop my understanding of grant writing and to contribute to the postdoc community through further mentorship and teaching. I'm excited to have joined the GWA program this year.
Courses Taught:
"Applying 'Experience, Meaning, and Match' to the NSF personal statement", BIOS 271 Stanford Biosciences Course Lecture, August 2018
Centers for Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSI) - 2016-2018
As a CERSI fellow, I developed a deeper understanding of the fields of pharmacovigilance - post-market surveillance of drugs for safety issues - and pharmacogenomics - the study of the interactions of genes and drugs. Both fields are crucially important to understanding unintended consequences of drug use, and I found modern networking tools were poised to have an impact in these fields. I explore current approaches and trends, and highlight where further biological engineering could improve surveillance and discovery of potential drug liabilities.
Lectures:
"Bioinformatic tools for pharmacovigilance and pharmacogenomics", BMI224 Bioinformatics Course Lecture, July 2018
MIT Biological Engineering Communications Lab - 2013-2016
As an inaugural fellow with the Biological Engineering (BE) Communications Lab, I became a coach for all things communication related - lab reports, scientific papers, conference presentations, grant and fellowship applications, and resumes/CVs. I learned that a crucial part of the communication coaching role is asking the right questions to discover the roots of complex scientific ideas. Through asking these questions, I could enable scientists to develop more streamlined figures or create concise scientific content for their fellowship applications. Further, I developed content for the Communication Lab's CommKit resource that is still in use today: http://mitcommlab.mit.edu/be/use-the-commkit/
Seminars:
"Making the match: applying to graduate school and writing fellowships" Laureates and Leaders Program, September 2013
"Writing for impact: succeeding with the NSF application" 20.416 Biological Engineering Class Lecture, October 2013
Stanford Grant Writing Academy - 2018-current
More recently, I've joined the Grant Writing Academy (GWA) at Stanford which runs various programs for students and postdocs in the biosciences. I've developed specific content on writing personal statements for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and developed tools for promoting an effective writing practice. My ambitions with the GWA are to further develop my understanding of grant writing and to contribute to the postdoc community through further mentorship and teaching. I'm excited to have joined the GWA program this year.
Courses Taught:
"Applying 'Experience, Meaning, and Match' to the NSF personal statement", BIOS 271 Stanford Biosciences Course Lecture, August 2018
Centers for Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSI) - 2016-2018
As a CERSI fellow, I developed a deeper understanding of the fields of pharmacovigilance - post-market surveillance of drugs for safety issues - and pharmacogenomics - the study of the interactions of genes and drugs. Both fields are crucially important to understanding unintended consequences of drug use, and I found modern networking tools were poised to have an impact in these fields. I explore current approaches and trends, and highlight where further biological engineering could improve surveillance and discovery of potential drug liabilities.
Lectures:
"Bioinformatic tools for pharmacovigilance and pharmacogenomics", BMI224 Bioinformatics Course Lecture, July 2018