SCAN: Science Communication at ITQB

Abstract

Science's success depends on communication. By communicating research results to the scientific community and discussing with their peers, scientists are able to build on their knowledge and proceed further. But science and scientists do not live isolated from the rest of society. In fact, research depends on society and its decisions, namely for funding. On the other hand, research and above all technology have potential implications on people's lives. Scientific institutions have therefore a duty to bring science closer to society. Since its foundation, ITQB has been committed to strengthen the interaction between scientists and the general public, particularly schools, and has been increasingly engaged in science outreach activities. 

Short CV

Ana Sanchez finished her degree in Applied Plant Biology at the University of Lisbon in 1995. She was then admitted in the Gulbenkian PhD Program in Biology and Medicine and one year later moved to the University of Nijmegen, in The Netherlands, where she worked on plant reproduction under the supervision of Titti Mariani. After obtaining her PhD in Biology in 2001, she became a post-doc researcher at ITQB and worked in the Laboratory of Plant Genetic Engineering, headed by Margarida Oliveira, with whom she still collaborates. Since 2005, Ana is coordinating the science communication initiatives at this institute.