Highlights: Transitioning from the public sector researcher into a new position in the private sector is challenging – both professionally and personally. Learnings: being different is an asset, being vulnerable can lift you up, asking for help is OK, and maintaining a sense of self in the face of adversity can come with great rewards. —— Four years ago today, I started my job as Social Sciences Lead with Monsanto. The decision to transition from…

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Last year, I was invited to share my science communication story at CropLife Canada’s Spring Dialogue Days. It was great to be standing in front of a crowd of 150+ of my peers, friends, and colleagues in the capitol of my homeland. I was home and all was right with the world. In the days leading up to the event, however, I struggled to find the right blend of life events and lessons-learned to share…

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32 years ago today, Blair and I were in a serious car accident. It was soon after we were (first) married and I was pregnant with our first son. You don’t know our son Abraham because Abraham didn’t survive. As I often do, I like to write my way through things. It helps me to understand myself and the world that I live in. I’ve always journaled. And some of my journal entries I’ve turned…

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Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) is one of my favorite writers. And while I can easily spend hours pouring over her thoughtful and creative prose and poetry, I also love this quote of hers: “Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.” I ran across her quote today and it prompted me…

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This past weekend, for the umpteenth time, I cracked open Matthew Lieberman’s book Social: why our brains are wired to connect (2013). I skimmed through it like I normally do with these kinds of books; picking out bits and pieces like my uncle at a Sunday smorgasbord – finding things that I find intellectually appetizing (AKA things that confirm my bias). Credit: author Among the many gems outlined in this marvelous book, one passage in particular…

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If you listen to only one podcast episode this year, let it be this one. My friend, Robyn Flipse – Registered Dietitian and Cultural Anthropologist – chats with Registered Dietitian and podcaster Melissa Joy Dobbins (on her program, Soundbites) about how we are influenced by food cultism. A summary of Robyn’s ‘nuggets’ of ‘food’ wisdom… We are the only animals that use symbolism in our lives. We apply that symbolism in many ways (for example, think currency).…

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Over the past few years, I’ve read, enjoyed, and learned a great deal from the friendly banter that goes back and forth between Stephen Lewandowsky (@STWorg) and Dan Kahan (@cult_cognition) on Twitter. While Kahan often points to politics and ‘tribes’ as triggers for risk perception and behavior, Lewandowsky reframes things in a slightly different way. He suggests that perceptions may be less shaped by political ideology and more by something he calls “cognitive styles.” “Cognitive…

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SAIFood Blog recently allowed me to take up a bit of their ‘online real estate’ to share my thoughts on storytelling and science communication. An excerpt: “…the art and science of storytelling is evolving. And storytelling today requires a whole new level of agility and ingenuity than it ever has before. It is one part engagement and two parts personal branding. It also requires an aptitude for self-reflection.” “Sure, Cami. You can talk the talk,…

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My colleague, Bill, popped his head into my office one day with two words: “Ideological bias”. Then two more: “What do you know?” I shared some info with him. And I thought that I would share with you, my reader. Ideological bias is less of a ‘thing’ than it is a family of things. It is defined as a collection of ideas, or beliefs, held by an individual, or a group of people. Ideology and…

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This Valentine’s Day, share the love… of a story. Paul Zak says so…. ” Zak examines the psychological effects of stories and narratives on the human mind – the ‘neuroscience of the narrative’. According to Zak, whether they play out at bedtime, in our communities or in popular media, stories can build trust. Zak’s research finds that stories cause our brains to produce a chemical called oxytocin (there are others too). The production of this…

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