You would have heard about YouTube influencers and Instagram influencers. How about a scientist as an influencer?
Science-based communications happening on online platforms largely influence audience opinions, perceptions, and decisions. Pseudoscientific content, anecdotal information, and easy access to social media can lead to the rapid circulation of misinformation in scientific environments. Despite the pitfalls, social media platforms can become a valuable tool to creatively inspire audiences and promote more rational and scientifically backed content. We need more scientists to step forward and fill this gap to build public visibility, raise awareness, and foster constructive conversations in online spaces to become a science influencer.
Who is an Influencer?
Influencers are the driving forces of social media, contributing to the majority of public engagement. They are the people with large and dedicated followings on social media platforms. They mainly focus their feed around a specific topic, like lifestyle, geopolitical issues, cooking, gaming, and many more. Their followers like, share, and follow their social media handles to stay updated on their daily lives. As regular people, they appear more relatable, trustworthy, and entertaining to Millennials and Gen Z audiences compared to traditional celebrities. Admittedly, science and technology have brought people together worldwide, but influencers are an example of the power that technology has over people.
Why do we need more scientist influencers?
There is still a gap between the actual research done in laboratory settings and people’s understanding of complex scientific findings, phenomena, and techniques. As a scientific community, we need to develop innovative strategies to educate the lay public, especially in critical fields like climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and sustainability.
“Nothing in science has any value to society if it is not communicated.” This quote by Anne Roe, clinical researcher and psychologist, highlights the importance of science communication. Consider understanding the need for science communication through this example: A group of scientists develops a drought-tolerant rice variety by editing a key gene and publishes it in a prestigious journal. While they celebrate their victory, the farmer struggling with crop loss due to water scarcity remains unaware of this new rice variety. This gap highlights the need for effective science communication. In today’s rapidly evolving digital age, we need more scientists to step forward to foster constructive conversations not only to strengthen the credibility of science but also to promote curiosity, collaboration, and inclusivity within society.
Researchers, academics, and science professionals who use public platforms such as social media, blogs, podcasts, and videos to reach wider audiences can be called scientist influencers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many such professionals moved beyond traditional academic roles to combat misinformation, engage communities, guide policy, and make science accessible. These efforts help counter pseudoscientific claims and rebuild trust in science through transparent communication, bridging the gap between research and society.
How scientists can be influencers too
People on social media trust scientists more than non-scientific influencers, valuing the information shared by science professionals. Therefore, as a scientific community, we need to develop creative communication styles on social media. Here are some ways to make a head start with your social media science communication journey:
Show an active presence on online social media platforms- Scientists can use influencers' communication style, like sharing content regularly, participating in uploaded content, and sharing your opinions with the audience. Multipurpose platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc. can be used creatively to communicate information through posts, blogs, podcasts, opinion polls, and infographics.
Collaborate with science communicators- Scientists who are exploring their niche can seek help from science communicators to plan and embark upon their science communication journey. Platforms such as IndiaBioscience, Research Matters, India Science, EMBO, Company of Biologists etc. can be instrumental to network and outreach research work.
Participate in Science Communication Policies- Scientists can actively engage with government-led science communication initiatives and policies such as Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2020, and programs by DST/NCSTC.
Collect citizens’ inputs and feedback- Feedback is a great way to learn from your previous assignments. Scientists can target diverse groups to collect their feedback and inputs to address the unrecognized gaps that remain during the execution of their research outreach.
The real challenges
Being a science influencer comes with many challenges that often discourage researchers from stepping into public communication. Time constraints due to research, teaching, administrative duties, and institutional publication pressure limit the participation of scientists. While scientists are extensively trained to fulfill academic requirements, they mostly lack training in science communication, journalism, and outreach. A public presence also brings risks of criticism or backlash that could give rise to fear of self-promotion. Additionally, these science influencers rarely receive any funding support for their communication and outreach efforts. Along with these factors, the undervalued perception of science communication makes it difficult for scientists to build a public presence, with the demanding need for trusted voices in the era of misinformation.
Beyond conventional academic roads
Despite these hurdles, many scientist influencers successfully balance research and outreach, leaving a unique mark. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, many Indian scientists came forward as science communicators. Dr. Gagandeep Kang, virologist and public health researcher, has become a trusted voice in understanding the efficacy of vaccines and health medications. Dr. Gautam Menon, physicist and computational biologist, actively explained how pandemic data modelling can inform about COVID-19 public policies through interviews and social media. Another notable example is Dr. Abby Philips, multi-award winning hepatologist, well known as “The Liver Doc”, who regularly uses social media, podcasts, and interviews to debunk pseudoscience and raise awareness about medicine in liver health. Additionally, the following are examples of scientists who have carved their unique niche at the intersection of science and public engagement.
1. G V Pavan Kumar
As a Professor at the department of Physics, IISER, Pune, Dr. Pavan studies the interaction of light with soft matter from a photonic-force viewpoint. Alongside his research work, he is also committed to science communication through his blog, VISMAYA, and podcast, Pratidhvani – Humanizing Science. Details of Dr. Pavan’s podcasts and blogs can be found on Twitter: https://x.com/Pavan_KumarGV/status/1959169643819483361.
G V Pavan Kumar’s insights:
“For me, there are two implications of doing science. One is that science is extremely useful to society, and the second is that it is a good, thoughtful way of living one's life. Communicating the second implication is important to me, and I do this by researching, writing, and podcasting about the history and philosophy of science (physics in particular). This path helps people understand the human element of doing science and reveals a context. Some of my blogs (filtered here) discuss why I do science and how I do it. More than 'influencing' the audience, I am interested in inviting them to explore science by themselves via their own curiosity. That is one reason why my blog is called VISMAYA.”
2. Ishwariya Venkatesh
Dr. Venkatesh, a Neurobiologist at CCMB, Hyderabad, works on understanding the regenerative capacity in the injured mammalian nervous system. She is consistent about sharing her lab work updates, opinions on scientific matters, research achievements, and outreach activities on social media platforms, such as Twitter: https://x.com/Ishwariya13/status/1969686638075985942.
3. Shannon Olsson
Dr. Olsson is a scientist at NCBS, Bangalore, a TEDx speaker, and the founder and global director of The Echo Network. Her work is focused on understanding the chemical ecology of insect odorants in complex natural environments along with educating diverse scientific communities through public engagement to promote sustainable development. She represented the scientific community at the G20 Summit 2023 in India, emphasizing the need for inclusivity, collaboration, and communication to tackle global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability (link to her twitter post: https://x.com/Scientistinpink/status/1602965898138357760). She is also active on social media, where she engages with the public through tweets, podcasts, interviews, and webinars.
Dr. Shannon Olsson’s insights:
“As human-driven urbanization, environmental change, agricultural intensification, pesticides, pollution, and invasive species expand across the globe, there is an ever increasing need for academics to work with the public to establish sustainable solutions that are backed by science, enabled by technology, and shared equitably across communities. This means that scientists must be part of enhancing the scientific temperament of the public. Current government programs such as the Department of Science and Technologies Social Scientific Responsibility Guidelines (https://dst.gov.in/sites/default/files/SSR%20Guidelines%202022%20Book_0.pdf) can help guide scientists to work directly with the public to establish this scientific temperament."
Conclusion
Science discoveries, advances and breakthroughs often benefit limited people, while the larger part of society who truly need them remain unaware. By creatively leveraging social media, scientists can expand reach, build trust, and foster inclusivity in society. With persistence and creativity, they can bridge the gap between research and the public, shaping their unique path as impactful science influencers.
