Dr. Emma Hodcroft discusses her experience with scientific communication, particularly on social media. She shares her background in infectious diseases and how she became involved in science communication. Dr. Hodcroft reflects on the influence of her father's involvement in a football club on her early appreciation of communicating with a broader audience. She discusses the challenges of balancing personal and professional information on social media and the importance of being mindful of the messages being conveyed. Dr. Hodcroft also emphasizes the need for scientists to take on the responsibility of communicating their ideas and findings to the public. The conversation explores the role of experts in times of emergency and the importance of providing accurate information. It also highlights the work of scientists behind the scenes and encourages them to share their expertise. The conversation emphasizes the need for diverse representation in the media and concludes with a discussion on personal and professional content.

Takeaways

Balancing personal and professional information on social media is important to maintain a focused and effective communication strategy.

Engaging with trolls and negative interactions on social media is generally unproductive and it is better to ignore them or respond with kindness.

Scientists have a responsibility to communicate their ideas and findings to the public, but not everyone needs to be a science communicator in the traditional sense.

Training and awareness of science communication should be provided to scientists to help them effectively communicate their work to a broader audience. In times of emergency, it is important to provide good, solid, and truthful information, even if you don't consider yourself the leading expert.

Highlighting the work of scientists behind the scenes can help showcase the diverse contributions to the scientific community.

Encouraging scientists to share their expertise and have confidence in their knowledge can lead to more diverse representation in the media.

Personal and professional content can coexist and provide a well-rounded view of an individual's interests and experiences.