SITraN laboratory meerkat takes national science communication conference by storm

Stardom beckons for Mo LeCule, the SITraN motor neurone disease research mascot, as he steals the show at the national Science Communication Conference.

This annual British Science Association organised event brought together over 300 science communicators to share ideas, discuss best practice and learn new skills. Keynote speaker, Professor Brain Cox, described his j

ourney from an undergraduate avoiding academic to TV stardom with his own shows and Dr Who cameo appearance. His science communication crusade began in response to large spending cuts for research in 2007 and a desire to protect future research funding. Professor Cox described science communication as being like psychoanalysis, helping you reconnect with a love of your subject and the thrill of discovery.

Twitter was actively encouraged at the conference with the audience urged to keep phones on (in silent mode) for tweeting throughout.

The conference had the hashtag #SciComm13 which allowed conference tweets to be found easily and displayed on a screen in the refreshments area. The hashtag was so widely used that it rivalled the term “Beckham” on the day he announced his retirement from professional football. For those who don’t use this social media tool, trending uses an algorithm to determine the most heavily used terms throughout twitter users and is a way to show the hottest topics of the day. Mo LeCule, the Motor Neurone Disease Association meerkat, starred in tweets over the two day event. He networked, came to all the talks, enjoyed the wine reception, learnt about physics via the medium of beer and went on the science soapbox. The pinnacle of Mo’s fame came in the closing session where he had a starring role, sharing a screen with Prof Brian Cox and a presence on stage. Incredible awareness for motor neurone disease and the good research we do here in SITraN. Mo has become so famous he now has his own twitter account, @Mo_MND for those who tweet.

A central theme of the conference was impact and the reality that few academics actively engage with the public to communicate their work and currently there is not enough reward or recognition for doing so. The overall feeling was that academics are funded by public money and have a duty to engage, universities do appreciate it to a certain extent but there are difficulties in measuring impact. The influence of these types of activities on the REF is slowly increasing and will probably feature as a higher priority in years to come. There were calls for academic engagement activities to be part of standard practice and promoted for the benefits it brings. Twitter is just one, simple tool to reach out and could be used more widely.

Overall this conference was a fantastic experience, Mo met some great people, learnt a lot about the art of communication and got some great exposure. Thank you to the Medicine, Dentistry and Health Research Staff Association for funding a bursary for attendance.