Graduate school has a funny way of distorting things. This includes but is not limited to any and all aspects of a space-time continuum, self-worth related to research progress, and, critically, just how specialized we are in the micro chasms of our fields by the time we’re on our way out of the program.
The chemistry graduate program is focused on honing specific advancements within your discipline. You start your coursework exploring broad topics across the disciplines (organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, biochemical, computational…) until you slowly reach a point where you can do back-of-napkin calculations on systems that occupy a space with less cross sectional area than a human hair. This is an exciting point in your progress! Your own research projects can be investigated with more discretion and potential challenges in your strategies are easier to discern. Discussions with other experts in your field are likewise fast-paced and can lead to rapid creative developments and collaborations. This is, unfortunately, also the point at which you will begin to lose almost everyone else in the room – and in the realm of microfluidics, find when you introduce yourself to other scientists as a microfluidicist you might find yourself faced with blank stares.
Funnel charts are often used by researchers and presenters to discuss topic introductions – but what we can lose sight of is that we go through our own funnels of actualizing our work to the point that we might be surprised when others aren’t familiar with it. This is more of an approachability funnel.
Graduate students are often taught to focus their communication on the lower tiers of this funnel – this especially applies to academic writings and dissertations, where entire documents have a singular, directed focus. These focused writings are critical for communicating the details of our work with other experts and advancing our respective fields. However, when we get too comfortable speaking this deep in the informational sphere, our conversations with others can wind up looking entirely unapproachable.
Communicating with others in our field is a critical part of scientific advancement – but there are a few things we should keep in mind when communicating with broader audiences that don’t apply to our general scientific communication!
Using my research as an example, if I were to tell another microfluidics researcher what I do in my day-to-day, I would tell them something along the lines of this: I develop microfluidic devices that utilize a digital PCR system to detect proteins in the fM regime. These chips can be utilized to detect biomarkers of disease for early-stage diagnostics, before a patient exhibits symptoms.
This statement belongs in the category of ‘field experts’ – chemists who have an understanding of microfluidics, PCR, and analytical chemistry.
Consider the big picture of the work. The big picture is the topic that’s introduced at the beginning of research talks, but when communicating your work at the broadest scale you want to ensure that the overarching goal is identified. The big problem my work tries to solve is disease diagnostics – we want to utilize the devices we make to diagnose diseases before a patient feels symptomatic. This is a critical point, and although it might not be the focus of my day-to-day in device development, it should be highlighted to others!
Ditch the jargon. This can be a tough one because it requires identifying what words in your scientific vocabulary are jargon-based. In my example, there is a lot of jargon present, including the biochemical reaction that takes place and the specific detection range. A general audience will lose interest with these terms – they should be cut, or if absolutely necessary, briefly described.
A version of my work for a general audience would read as: I design and create microchips similar to what’s in the back of a smartphone that can detect proteins at ultra-low concentrations. These microchips can be used to develop diagnostic tests that can diagnose individuals at earlier stages of an illness, allowing them to get early treatment and improve their chances of recovery.
Microfluidics is definitely a niche amongst niches – and as an undergraduate, my education on it was very limited. In future posts, I hope to define some aspects of microfluidics from a more general perspective!