Social media for scientists: Developing a meaningful, impactful presence

This workshop will explore the use of social media platforms for the communication of science. You will learn how to build a successful social media presence, the do’s and don’ts of Twitter, what the ‘dark side’ of social media is like and how to avoid it, and how to use social media for spreading your science, representing your lab, making the most out of conferences, tuning into late-breaking research results, connecting with like-minded colleagues, and taking part in constructive discussions. 

Raeka Aiyar, Ph.D. - Raeka is an experienced science communicator, genomics researcher, and self-confessed mitochondriac. 

A Canadian transplant, she got her Ph.D. at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), where she studied yeast models of mitochondrial disease using genomics, biochemistry, and synthetic biology. She then focused her career on science communication, starting with a role at EMBL as Scientific Communications Officer, where she honed her skills in scientific writing and outreach. Next, she worked at the Genetics Society of America as their Communications and Engagement Manager, where one of her tasks was to run 5 social media accounts. She is now the Communications Director at the Stanford Genome Technology Center (SGTC), a multidepartmental center where she translates science into language fit for other scientists, ‘real’ doctors, grant reviewers, reporters, philanthropists, and Twitter users. See how she’s doing @raekaaiyaras well as the accounts she runs for SGTC (@StanfordGenome) and the Genomes to Natural Products Network (@GNPNetwork)