Brains & Behavior is excited to announce the creation of a new chapter of the international science communication initiative, NeuWrite.
According to the flagship, “NeuWrite is an international network of scientists, writers, radio producers, filmmakers, and artists, [whose] mission is to develop novel strategies for communicating science to general audiences.”
HISTORY OF ATLANTA CHAPTER
Although both originally trained as neuroscientists, B&B Fellow Greg Suess and B&B Associate Director Liz Weaver share a passion for neuroscience communication. Working together on many science communication projects in the past, Liz and Greg began noticing an increasing interest in neuroscience communication at Georgia State University. After attending a national NeuWrite meeting at the Society for Neuroscience, and gauging local interest in a regional chapter, Greg & Liz founded the NeuWrite Atlanta Chapter.
VISION & MISSION STATEMENT
NeuWrite Atlanta Chapter’s mission is to elevate neuroscience knowledge by accurately communicating content across multiple media platforms and workshopping individual pieces to be published in science publishing outlets, while fostering collaboration between neuroscientists & writers to improve the science communication skills of its individual members. In addition, NeuWrite serves as a creative outlet for artists and writers who wish to express their research, lived-experience, and advocacy related to neuroscience.
Opinions or views expressed within the content are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the website, Georgia State University, NeuWrite leadership, Brains & Behavior Area of Focus or any of its affiliates.
STRUCTURE
NeuWrite Atlanta includes individual members that are welcome to attend monthly meetings. NeuWrite Atlanta’s Advisory Board consists of group leaders from multiple institutions.
Atlanta Chapter Leadership & Advisory Board
Georgia State University
- Jennifer Gray, MS
Neuroscience Graduate Student - Greg Suess, PhD
Neuroscience B&B Fellow Alumni Advisor - Elizabeth Weaver II, MS
Associate Director, Brains & Behavior Area of Focus
GETTING STARTED
MEMBERSHIP
NeuWrite Atlanta welcomes individual members from academic institutions, private companies, government agencies, and freelancers. There is no fee to join. Please email neuwriteatl@gmail.com for further inquiry & to join our membership and mailing list.
PUBLISHING
If you are a member or not, please use this form to begin the process of proposing a written piece.
CURRENT PROJECT
NEUWRITE ATL VOICES IN ACTION
Press Release on Grant Awarded to NeuWrite ATL:
A team of science writers, communicators, and disability advocates led by Elizabeth Weaver, a science writer and communicator and associate director of the Brains & Behavior Area of Focus at Georgia State University, will develop online resources and a docuseries for science writers and communicators focused on crafting evidence-based and empathetic patient-centered science journalism. Although the focus will be on neuroscience, the team will develop resources that will be applicable to writers covering almost any area of science or healthcare journalism.
“This grant aims to disrupt older, more outdated journalistic approaches that solely prioritize scientists’ expert testimony,” the applicants wrote. “Specifically, we aim to teach science writers how to convey neuroscience, discovery, and disease through a democratic lens, where patients’ epistemic authority is prioritized throughout the journalistic process. Furthermore, this grant will aim to scale these skills to reach more community members outside the initial training paradigm by empowering science writers in training to teach this framework to their peers.”
Funds will support an online course focused on educating professional science writers on how to implement patient-centered frameworks in neuroscience related communication (application due date Aug. 1). In addition, the team will develop a docuseries and online resources for any science writer or NASW member seeking resources on authentically incorporating patient voices and other key stakeholders into science journalism and communication. For the docuseries, the team will work with artist and Georgia State graduate student Hannah Litchenstein and cinematographer and Georgia State undergraduate student Taliyah Baptiste to interview the diversity of stakeholders involved in scientific research and communication, including science writers, patients, caregivers, allies, researchers, students, and medical providers.
Other team members include Dom Kelly and Kehsi Iman Wilson of New Disabled South, a group focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities and cultivating strong disability rights and disability justice frameworks in the South; journalist and Century Foundation fellow Ryan Prior; and Jennifer M.F. Gray of NeuWrite Atlanta.
Furthermore: We will pair Lived Experience Experts with Science Writers to each write a patient-centered journalistic piece. See our project participants below!
To learn more about the project participants, click here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
If you would like to suggest an event or workshop, please email us at neuwriteatl@gmail.com.
RECENT EVENTS
RESOURCES
Medical Writing Genre Resources
- Ten Recommendations for Closing the Credibility Gap in Reporting Industry-Sponsored Clinical Research: A Joint Journal and Pharmaceutical Industry Perspective
- Guidance for Industry Distributing Scientific and Medical Publications on Unapproved New Uses —Recommended Practices
- Project Management in Medical Publication Writing: A Less Explored Avenue in Pharmaceutical Companies and Clinical Research Organisations
Writing to the Lay Public Resources