News
Bench through Bedside
When we translate our work into language the public can grasp, we strengthen the connection between research and real-world change.
Digestible information in a distrusting world: a new Department role
Hello colleagues!
I'm your new Director of Scientific Communication. I am an Infectious Diseases specialist, fresh off a Fellowship in Journalism and Health Impact from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at UTo—and have some hard-won experience in pandemic public communication.
I've teamed up with our amazing Communication and Internal Engagement and Events crew at the Department of Medicine.
Our Mission
- Highlight the contributions of the Department.
- Boost the DoM's presence across social and traditional media.
- Make sure your incredible work gets the attention it deserves.
- Contribute high-quality, understandable medical and scientific knowledge to the public flow of information.
Submit Your Story Ideas
We have an open door to your ideas at any time.
Currently, the U of A Folio newsletter would like to hear more from us. Folio is the U of A’s flagship publication, highlighting work with broad public interest, strong patient impact, and new avenues for research and care. We can pass along your ideas to them on your behalf.
If you have something worth sharing, please submit it through the form below and encourage your teams to do the same.
We’d love to explore these stories with you.
Communication Tools
Whether you’re just getting started or already hitting the ground running, below are some practical communication tools designed to help you connect, inform, and engage.
Dr. Lynora Saxinger
Director, Scientific Communication
Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
Beyond the Jargon:
Sophisticated simplicity as your superpower in public presentations and communication
Have you ever tried explaining your research or a disease process to a non-expert friend or family member, only to see their eyes glaze over? You’re not alone.
As health professionals and researchers, we speak in highly specialized languages filled with acronyms, technical terms, and subtle distinctions. While this precision serves us well among peers, it can unintentionally block understanding and connection with others.
In this video, learn how to make your message clear, compelling, and relatable without losing scientific accuracy.
The Science of explaining medicine
How to Explain Anything (Almost!): Mastering Analogies for Science Communication
In medicine and science, we spend our lives immersed in the microscopic and the abstract —viral replication, enzymatic pathways—and it can feel like you’re speaking a foreign language to patients. One of the single best communication tools we have is mastering the art of analogies. They’re like secret decoder rings for complex ideas, transforming the unfamiliar into something knowable, and can help patients understand and buy in to the clinical plan (see what I did there?).
Rethink Using 'Rare' to Describe Risk
We need to stop using “rare” to describe risks. Have you ever told a patient a side effect is “rare,”, “unlikely” or “common”? To you, “rare” might mean <1%. To your patient? It could mean anything from 0.01% (1 in 10,000) to 10% or more.
Use The Power of Story in Medicine and Science
We've all been there. The torture of the sleepy, after lunch, data-packed scientific presentation. You are interested in the topic; it’s important, but across the room, eyes are glazing. How do we capture attention, spark curiosity, and make our information memorable?
