Communication Workshops
Nowgen established these workshops to encourage more scientists to talk directly to the public about genetics and the associated issues.
The workshops followed two major surveys of genetics professionals that were conducted in the UK which explored their attitudes towards interacting with non-specialist groups. Members of the British Society for Human Genetics (BSHG) were surveyed in 2002 and a similar questionnaire was used two years later by the Genetics Society. The responses from the members of both professional bodies show strong support for communicating with non-specialists.
Nowgen addressed some of the needs identified in these surveys, by delivering a programme of communication workshops. We aimed to:
- Give participants practical skills, ideas and resources to help them engage with non-experts.
- Attract a range of genetics professionals – scientists, counsellors & clinicians.
After the workshops, participants were encouraged to visit a school or community group to talk about genetics, with support from Nowgen. Fourteen workshops have been run in total. Attendees included: clinical scientists, genetic counsellors and research scientists from the UK and abroad, representatives from other Genetics Knowledge Parks and the Genetic Interest Group.
