hi, I'm Tania and I'm a science communicator!

I work with scientists and institutions to help them better communicate science. As a former scientist myself, I understand science and its environment and want to help scientists become better communicators.

British in appearance, Greek at heart and with a pan-European accent, I can speak your language and help you get your project off the ground in order to communicate science better.

In the current landscape, this is more important now, than ever.

past projects

St-Valentin scientifique

The annual Biology conference speed-dating event this time was on Valentine's Day!

Scientific Speed-dating @Nacht der Forschung

This time, there were more than 30 researchers and over 150 members of the public! The topics covered were Biology, Space science, geology, psychology, linguistics and medicine.

Rendez-vous Forschung

At the 2017 Biology conference, speed-dating scientifique became RDV Forschung and started speaking German in Bern!

Speed-dating scientifique Biology '16 conference

I organised a scientist-public speed-dating event at the Biology '16 conference

Escape Game in Parasites ! exhibition

In 2016, I created with the science theatre group, The Catalyst, an escape game in the Parasites ! exhibition.

Parasites ! L'exposition qui démange

I developed part of the content for the exhibition Parasites ! that took place at the Zoology Museum in Lausanne in 2016-2017. I was also involved in developing the event series and educational content.

Science Hackathon @ Univercité

In November 2016, I co-organised a transdisciplinary science hackathon.

Blue Butterfly Play

In 2015, The Catalyst theatre group was awarded an SNF Agora grant to make a play. With theatre professionals and a playwright we co-created a play on parasites, life as a female researcher, family life and much more. The play was a festival of the senses. I was involved in the writing and acted the role of a mad scientist, a cancer cell and a deranged child.

Invent your own city!

In 2016, I created the scientific story for a science festival where thousands of children had to vote for their future city!

Exposure Film Hackathon

In 2017, I was lucky enough to be invited by the Exposure team to be a mentor for their hackathon. My team made a film on tardigrades. I enjoyed it so much I am going back to mentor at two more events this year.

EvoKE

The EvoKE network (Evolutionary Knowledge for Everyone) started in 2017 with a kick-off meeting in Porto. With over 250 members from more than 30 countries, we are also happy to have been awarded a European COST Action to continue our work.

Lausanne capitale de l'évolution

In August 2015, I organised 4 public outreach initiatives as part of the ESEB (European Society for Evolutionary Biology) conference. These included a scientific speed-dating event, a workshop on evolution education for teachers and faculty, a tweet chat and questions of the day where scientists answered the general public's questions.

SCNAT bicentenary

In 2015, I ran a live demo of my field methods for all interested in what I did as a scientist.

We Scientists 2035

As part of my work at the Swiss Academy of Sciences I developed a workshop on research culture

Events on genetic research

As part of my work at the Swiss Academy of Sciences I designed dialogue events to bring together scientists, sceptics and other members of the interested pubic.

about

I have been active in promoting the public engagement with science for the last five years and have (co)-created and managed diverse projects. These include exhibitions, educational material, outreach events, storytelling, theatre, game design, film, transdisciplinary hackathons and museum evaluation projects. As a former scientist myself, with a PhD and two postdocs in evolutionary ecology, I understand science and its environment and want to help scientists become better communicators.

I am currently working at the University of Geneva on “CoFish: a co-created citizen science project for evolution understanding, conservation and scientific literacy”. In this project we aim to co-create a research project with fishers. I like “difficult” topics: evolution, genetics, climate change and humans’ relationship with technology and believe that a transdisciplinary perspective is needed for social innovation.

I am a founding member of The EvoKE Project that aims to promote the public understanding of evolution. I am also applying for the role of Chair of the COST Action “Building on scientific literacy for scientifically responsible Europeans”.

what I can help you with?

content and storytelling

I have been involved in writing content for exhibitions (e.g. Parasites! 2017), science festivals (e.g. Mystères de l'UNIL 2016), immersive theatre (e.g. Blue Butterfly Play, 2015), and film (e.g. Exposure Science Film Hackathon, 2017, short films for Bold Blog).

I also have experience with the production of communication material.

Immersive experiences

I like immersive experiences as they play on our emotions and they are therefore highly engaging.

I have previously worked in immersive theatre and escape game design in a museum setting.

evaluation

Evaluating outreach efforts is integral to effective communication. I can help you determine your project's SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) goals and help you evaluate your communication project.

In these projects, I appreciate being involved upstream in the process.

outreach events

I have organised many outreach events. In 2015, I started with "Lausanne capitale de l'évolution", a series of outreach events on evolution. Since then, I have organised 8 scientific speed-dating events in 3 Swiss cities, game days, theatre shows, hands-on science demos and "scientists at work" events.

transdisciplinary events

I specialise in highly transdisciplinary events that involve people from diverse backgrounds. These could be with scientists and stakeholders such as, the media and politicians. They can take the form of a scientific speed-dating event, a dialogue session or a hackathon.

fundraising adviCe

I have written or been involved in writing 3 Swiss Agora grants. I also coordinated a successful European COST Action grant. I enjoy finding the selling point of projects. Get in touch if you need help!

Facilitating a dialogue session on common misconceptions in evolution at Ecsite 2018, Geneva, Switzerland.

Professional experience & Education

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2018- present: free-lance science communicator. Past projects include evaluation of COSMOS exhibition.

2020: project coordinator catta citizen science and science communication. Work on scripts and animations of films on education for the Bold Blog in collaboration with Kurzgesagt. Example work

2018- 2020: science policy advisor at SCNAT (Swiss Academy of Sciences): projects on research culture (We Scientists 2035 workshops) and outreach events on new gene technology .

2017: Logistics coordination Museomix CH event

2015-2017: Science communicator at Musée cantonal de zoologie, Lausanne. Parasites exhibition: content development, educational and outreach programme .

2016: Project manager creation of scientific story for Mystères de l'UniL, science festival 2016 edition

2012- 2017: Postdoctoral research in host-parasite interactions Université de Lausanne

2011-2012: Citizen science coordinator, University of Bern, Switzerland

2009-2010: Postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Ecology, University of Jena, Germany

MENTORING & FACILITATING

2017

Mentor at Exposure science film hackathon

Facilitator EvoKE meeting "evolution in informal learning environments"

2016

Facilitator "Science Hackathon"

BOARD MEMBER

2018- present: EuroScitizen COST Action Chair

2016- present: Co-founding board member EvoKE Evolutionary Knowledge for Everyone

2016-2017: The Catalyst Theater's Museums' representative

EDUCATION

2005-2009: PhD thesis. "The evolutionary ecology of Leucocytozoon blood parasites", Imperial College London.

2001-2004: 1st class Honours, BSc in Biology, Imperial College, London

AWARDS & GRANTS

2018- roughly € 140 000/ year 2018-2022. EuroScitizen COST Action- Chair.

€ 18 000 from ESEB for EvoKE 2017 conference

€ 2000 for infographic on the history of evolutionary thought, available here in four languages

PRESENTATIONS & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

2020

Open Innovation in Life Sciences, virtual, panelist “Scientists & Society- let’s talk”

2019

Open Innovation in Life Sciences, ETH, panelist on “Open Science” round table

2018

Ecsite 2018, Geneva, Switzerland: "Public engagement with evolution: going beyond giraffes and genes"

ECSA 2018: "Introducing the EvoKE network & the EuroScitizen COST Action", Geneva, Switzerland.

Citizen Science for Education Workshop, Leysin, Switzerland: The EvoKE network, citizen science and education.

2017

Invited speaker: "Gaming as a tool for education": Imaginasciences, Annecy, France

Invited speaker: "hackathons to do and communicate science", Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles, Lausanne

Talk: "Science speed-dating as an outreach tool" at "We scientists shape science" conference, Bern

2016

Panelist: Young scientists debate synthetic biology, LS2 conference, Lausanne

in the media

24 heures: 1400 scientifiques réunis à Lausanne pour sonder l'évolution

Le Temps: Dix idées reçues sur la théorie de l'évolution

La Côte: Sept minutes pour rencontrer un biologiste, same article as below

Uniscope: Sept minutes pour rencontrer un biologiste

CQFD Science radio show: améliorer le fonctionnement de la science

My projects have also been on the radio and TV see here, here, here (French) and here (in Swiss German)

The local media filming the researcher speaking to her "date" at the St-Valentin scientifique, Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Neuchâtel, 14.02.2018. — The local media filming the researcher speaking to her "date" at the St-Valentin scientifique, Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Neuchâtel, 14.02.2018.

Hidden talents in harsh conditions

I co-scripted this video. Project for the Bold Blog in collaboration with Kurzgesagt.

Adaptive teaching: Rethinking the nature of learning in schools

I co-wrote the script for this animation that was commissioned by the Bold Blog

Using digital tools to transform the classroom

One of the short animations I co-scripted for the Bold Blog

talk to me

As a professional communicator, I would love to talk to you about your ideas and help you to realise them.

I can take on one-two freelance projects at a time so if interested, then get in touch for my availabilities and a quote.

Just email me

Failing that, you can also find me lurking on social media:

twitter

Skype