Post contributed by: Sonia Bhangoo

So I have a little secret. I know that as a Ph.D I am supposed to be buried in books and papers trying to tease out the next big thing in science. But I must admit, at times I just need the easy version. Instead of reading the complex work in all of the prestigious science journals... sometimes I just want to read the quick and dirty version to get the take home message.

I notice that I get a lot of this from reading articles in general news magazines or online news sites. You see, the average person will not necessarily pick up the latest version of Nature or Cell. The average person may read the newspaper or Time magazine. Or perhaps they will watch the nightly news on television. It is through these mediums of communication that we as scientists see the general public accessing information about what it is that we do. Take the health headlines for CNN.com this week as an example. One story highlights World AIDS day and the progress that is being made in different scientific studies. There have been stories discussing how scientists are still searching for new treatments and working on a vaccine. A second headline on the news website highlights a study of how early intervention has huge benefits in children diagnosed with autism. In fact, the first sentence of the article starts with "Researchers have shown....." . It seems the stories highlighting the results of scientific studies are becoming more common. I cannot help but gleam a little when I read the stories. The media highlighting science and the discoveries being made emphasize the importance of science in the solving today's health problems.

Helping the public understand how the process of science works and exactly how studies contribute to our understanding of health and disease is vital. After all, if we have a public that understands what science is and how it can change their world, then we can have a public that supports funding for research and development. Even more importantly, we have a public that will understand what the implications of cutting funding for the NIH may do in our quest to find treatments and cures for diseases.

Whenever I have a conversation with a non-scientist about what it is that I do, I find that they take a genuine interest in learning about the research process. When I ask why is it that they find science difficult to understand, the answer almost always has something to do with the fact that science is not necessarily communicated with ease. While having the media highlight studies in a more general tone helps, I feel that more must be done to get the message out. Our job as members and supporters of COPUS is to help do this. Talk about science.....help them understand that answers do not just simply happen. Research and hard work answers questions about health and disease, and research and science can help change their world.

Welcome to our new COPUS blogger Sonia Bhangoo! Sonia is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the National Institutes of Health conducting research on chronic pain. She has volunteered to help with COPUS, because she is passionate about connecting science to the public. We are thrilled to have Sonia as part of our COPUS team!

January was quite the time to be in Washington, DC. The energy surrounding the arrival of a new President at the White house could be felt in the cold January air. However as the next few months passed, and the new administration settled down in the nation’s capital, questions of who will lead the various government agencies arose. One such agency near and dear to our hearts is the world renowned National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is at the front line when it comes to science, providing financial support for medical research in every state and around the world.

On Monday August 17th, 2009, Dr. Francis Collins was sworn in as the 16th director of the NIH. For the past decade, Dr. Collins had been serving as the director for the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the NIH. His work and leadership led the institute to prestige in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book. Being a top leader at the NIH, while authoring several books on the importance of research and medicine, shows his appreciation for science.

While his scientific career is well known and appreciated, some out there may not know his softer side. Dr. Collins recently made an appearance on the Colbert Report on Comedy Central. His witty remarks and ability to develop a comic rapport with Steven Colbert show that not only is he a successful scientist, but can also be someone who brings ease and understanding to the often complex world of science. This was especially apparent in his response concerning cloning and stem cell research after Colbert expressed his desire for crab claws!

As you know, the mission of COPUS is to bring science to the forefront of the public eye and increase their public understanding of the nature of science and its value to society. Having a leader like Dr. Collins will help further this effort. His ability to communicate to the public the necessity for biomedical research and how it can further our society is a welcome sight to the scientists who dedicate their lives to the exploration of science. Seeing the public understand, value and appreciate research is the ultimate goal that we all hope to achieve. A new director at the helm will bring a different perspective and a different way achieving this goal. Welcome Dr. Collins!

In case you missed his appearance on the Colbert Report, check it out here: