Science communications - making the complicated simple: Markus MacGill

In this week’s episode, I am chatting with Markus MacGill a science writer and Editor with Green Ink.

Green Ink provides expert communications support to major organisations around the world and specialises in projects relating to the increasingly important areas of environment, climate change, public health, science and international development.

Markus has an PGCert (with distinction) from the MSc programme in Science Communication and Public Engagement at the University of Edinburgh and a CertHE in Biomedical Science from Anglia Ruskin University.  He has over 20 years’ experience as a writer, reporter, editor and photographer and, a strong track record in science writing and editing, particularly in the fields of health and medicine. His experience spans the full range from explanations for lay audiences to technical documents for highly scientific readers.

We discuss the role of science writer in supporting these areas, how open science has the potential of making the scientific process more transparent, inclusive and democratic. Markus shares many examples of his science communications work but one which demonstrates the importance  of open science enabling societal benefit is the following PLOS Medicine article describing a gender-based violence and recovery centre at Coast Provincial General Hospital, Mombasa, Kenya.  And we finish on some great advice for science researchers who want to better communicate their work and success.