So you’ve published your paper and interested journalists want to talk to you about your research. What do you do now?

Internationally renowned broadcaster Dr Chris Smith, aka The Naked Scientist, answered that question and provided valuable training for Murdoch University researchers during two research communications workshops this week.

Dr Smith is a medical consultant at Cambridge University and one of the world’s most influential science communicators, with his podcast achieving more than 120 million downloads.

He is also a Sir Walter Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Murdoch University and regularly visits Perth to share his communications expertise with our staff, students and the public.

In his latest workshops, Dr Smith emphasised to researchers the importance of using clear, simple language and avoiding technical jargon.

“The importance of clear communication in science and medicine cannot be over-stated because of the benefit of informing the general public and other stakeholders and also keeping other scientists and the scientific community abreast of the work we are doing,” Dr Smith said.

“It is critical to career advancement because if you can stand up and give a really fantastic, first-class presentation at a conference, you can bet your bottom dollar there will be people there who are your future employers, reviewers and critics. It will affect your likelihood of getting a job, a grant or all of the above.

“Having the ability to communicate clearly is only going to help a person’s career progression and help their science.”

Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation, Professor David Morrison, said the University was  fortunate to have access to Dr Smith’s advice and expertise.

“We do some fantastic, world-leading research here at Murdoch. Our challenge is to raise both awareness and understanding of this valuable work,” Professor Morrison said.

“The University is committed to giving our researchers the tools they need to succeed, including a better understanding of how to communicate their research in a clear and digestible way to different audiences, be they conference participants, school children or the media.

“These workshops by The Naked Scientist are part of our strategy to do just that.”