The Mass General Research Institute believes in the important role communication plays in a researcher’s ability to connect with a wide audience. As part of our commitment to help our researchers better communicate their science, we have previously worked with the Alan Alda Center For Communicating Science to teach Mass General researchers how to distill their message.
Now the man who helped establish the center has published a new book on the topic. Alan Alda’s book, If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?, talks about communication and miscommunication between scientists and civilians, explains why empathy is crucial to successful science conversations, and describes Alda’s work at the center.
“When patients can’t relate to their doctors and don’t follow their orders, when engineers can’t convince a town that the dam could break, when a parent can’t win the trust of a child to warn her off a lethal drug. They can all be headed for a serious ending,” says Alda.
You can learn more about the book in this great article from NPR.
Other articles about science communication:
- The Art of Effective Science Communication
- Using Plain Language to Help Patients Cope with Cancer
- Writing Tips for Researchers Interested in Science Communication (external link)
- Relearning How to Write (external link)
About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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