Recently, the Biological Sciences Division (BSD) ran a short article about UChicago’s new science communication certificate which teaches “how to advocate for science and medicine”. Earlier this year, our student Laura took this training to develop skills in relaying science to different audiences, from the general public to professional interviews, teaching courses, and grant applications.

Over the course of her training, she developed a presentation linking her field of study (human origins) to a personal story (motion sickness) through the intriguing aspects of the anatomy of the inner ear. She explained how the ear’s structure affects one’s vestibular sense, and how scientists can look for signs in ancient fossils to better understand how extinct hominins may have moved around. Laura’s full presentation can be found here at her personal site, at the bottom of the page.