It’s official: scientists are the new celebrities – which is why I’m so delighted to have one as my remote guest for the second special COVID-19 episode of the Alonement podcast.

British-born nanotechnologist Dr Michelle Dickinson, a long-term friend to Jacinda Ardern, has been working with New Zealand’s Prime Minister to help communicate the science behind COVID-19 to the public.

Day to day, Michelle runs Nanogirl’s Lab – under her alter-ego of Nanogirl – to teach children STEM skills. Self-identifying as ‘a weird socially-awkward introvert’, Michelle has nevertheless established herself as a household name and shared with me how she has harnessed her quiet superpowers in order to effectively communicate the science behind the COVID-19 virus to the public.

Michelle is also, believe it or not, loving lockdown: an opinion that has been whispered by some introverts over the past few weeks. Despite this – she also speaks about the huge toll that the health crisis is taking on the public’s mental health, and why it’s important to her to communicate the psychological toll on those feeling scared and alone at this time.

Whether you’re an introvert, an extrovert, or you haven’t made your mind up yet, I hope you find our conversation just as fascinating and eye-opening as I did.

Did you enjoy this episode? Let me know what you think with a written review on Apple Podcasts. You can also get in touch on [email protected].

Twitter: @ChezSpecter @medickinson

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