To start, describe yourself?
Nejc: "I'm a 4th year PhD student from Slovenia, primarily working on the role of miRNAs in dendritic cell reprogramming. My current scientific interests revolve around gene therapies and accessible medicine. My hobbies include reading, board games and RPGs, with a focus on collaborative storytelling".
Ervin: “I am also a 4th year PhD student in the same research group. During my PhD, I was focused on whether cancer cells could be reprogrammed into antigen-presenting dendritic cells to boost cancer immunity. Besides my scientific interests in cancer immunotherapy, I also enjoy science outreach. I am just genuinely enthusiastic when talking about science.”
| You have been part of the WCMM communication team now for quite some time, what made you apply for this position?
Nejc: "Effective (science) communication has for a long time been an interest of mine. As many PhD students, however, I only really experienced it in the form of conventional seminars and posters. The position was a great opportunity to try my hand at all kinds of (science) communications and to learn something on the way".
Ervin: “As a starting PhD student when such a position opens, you see a great learning and networking opportunity. This was the perfect chance for me to learn how to communicate science, write science, speak science, organize events, meet scientists, moderate sessions, and the list of learnings goes on. Not to forget to mention that you begin to develop a deeper connection with the center and all the researchers within it.”
| What was your favorite experience?
Nejc: "My favorite experience was observing a lively debate evolve in question & answers sessions at WCMM ScienceBrew. We built the popular science talks from the ground up and seeing it come alive was really rewarding."
Ervin: “Definitely creating a hub for public science talks in Lund. Especially, when we (Nejc and me), for the first time, got speakers from other disciplines than medicine. We heard exciting talks and debates about psychology or law. One key takeaway was that the most interesting questions, really those that spark debate, often come from an audience with no expertise in the presenter's field.”
| What was the most challenging or unexpected?
Nejc: "As communicators we are often just messengers, dependent on responses or information from others. Often this information is hard to get for various reasons and it's important to recognize when to push harder, to reduce or expand the number of communication channels, or to find a different approach. Finding this balance was a new challenge for me."
Ervin: “As communicators, it can sometimes be challenging to engage researchers and receive positive responses to our requests. Whether we are looking for speakers for our public science events, WCMM ScienceBrew, or arranging interviews, everyone is busy. When reaching out, we often see firsthand how overwhelming it can be to work in science. However, witnessing the moment when important findings or key messages not only reach an audience but receive the attention they deserve makes it worthwhile to be persistent and convince researchers to dedicate time to outreach activities.”
| When you look back, what was your biggest achievement as a communicator for the WCMM Lund?
Nejc: "I’ll go with ScienceBrew for this one as well, because we set it up as a smaller team. I really liked how WCMM Fusion (a recent event showcasing scientific art) turned out, but that was a broader team effort."
Ervin: "I am proud of how we as a team with Lisa managed to set up an efficient work-flow that allowed us to organize scientific and popular science events, our regular newsletter and good channels of communication such as the website and social media. Setting a good base was also important for the future communicator team that will be able to take over our tasks. It makes me happy that we will be handing over a working system, which of course can then be further improved and optimized with new creative minds and ideas coming in."
| What are the lessons you want to carry forward in your career?
Nejc: "I think the most valuable lesson has been the experience of co-creating new events and practices from scratch. That if something doesn't exist or is not done yet then maybe you should just go ahead and make it happen."
Ervin: “Being involved as a communicator within the center was valuable for many reasons. One aspect I’d like to emphasize is the connection it provided to all research groups, PIs, their students, and others working within WCMM Lund. A significant amount of information flows through you, giving you insight into how the research center operates—including its infrastructure, organization, people, and goals. Being deeply connected within your research environment also helps with your own research. It opens doors to collaborations, provides access to expert advice, and supports new ideas from diverse specialists you interact with regularly. Over time, you learn which researchers specialize in which topics, helping you better understand the opportunities within your immediate environment.”
Thank you for joining us in this month's WCMM Fireside Chat!