Talk Nerdy to Me! My Favorite Female Scientist Communicators
To honor International Women in Science Day (Feb 11), I’m sharing my favorite female scientist communicators—those rare beings who not only excel at doing science but are also able to make complex topics accessible and engaging for the rest of us:
Dr. Jessica Steier & Dr. Sarah Scheinman, hosts of the Unbiased Science podcast, tackle hot-button issues like raw milk consumption and fluoride debates. The reason I love this podcast is they present multiple perspectives, so you get why there’s a debate in the first place. Hence, unbiased. I also love their punny episode titles (“Not to Poo-Poo the Microbiome, Butt We’re Just Getting to the Bottom of It”, “Don’t Go Outbreakin’ My Heart: The Science of Epidemics.”) Gotta love science gals who are also word geeks!
Dr. Moiya McTier, the only person in history to double major in astrophysics and folklore/mythology at Harvard, hosts an astronomy podcast Pale Blue Pod. During weekly episodes, she talks about outer space with her storyteller guests, who ask philosophical (and not so philosophical) questions, helping you feel not-that-stupid for wondering the same thing.
Brittanny Towers (@theblackfoodscientist) produces fun “Science in 60 Seconds” and “Cooking in 60 Seconds” videos on TikTok and Instagram. Two of my favorites: The one where she tells us about the difference between Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava (facts you can consume!) and the one about how to make shakshuka. Britt also pops in newsy, PSA-style videos too, such as one where she explains the regulation of food dyes, in the wake of the recent Red 3 ban by the FDA.
Dr. Harini Bhat is a pharmacist who now produces a Substack including a podcast called Today I Learned Science (TILScience), which is like a true crime podcast but with a science spin. She interviews scientists on a quest to get to the bottom of still-unsolved mysteries, such as what really happened to Amelia Earhart or the disappearance of a CIA agent in the 60’s.
Dr. Samantha Yammine, a.k.a. Science Sam, is a neuroscientist who hosts a brand-new weekly podcast from Discovery called Curiosity Weekly, which “brings you the latest and greatest in scientific discoveries … so that you don’t need a PhD to understand it.” Thank you, Science Sam! Recent episodes have looked at how AI aided in combating the California wildfires, and how people are communicating with their dogs through word buttons. (Note to self: Put word buttons on the “Chewie List.”)
And for those of you who aren’t Instagram or TikTok scrollers, I recommend following Dr. Brooke Grindlinger, Chief Scientific Officer at The New York Academy of Sciences, on LinkedIn. A trained microbiologist, Brooke has direct dialogue with top researchers across all areas of science from AI to oncology to psychedelics to climate science and more. She provides digestible recaps of what she’s learning that she finds fascinating—her posts are like a recommendation list of things you want to learn more about.
These women scientists are all artful at letting their personality shine through, which is key to effective communication. Not every scientist is comfortable doing that, and that’s okay—it’s why communicators like us exist: to fill that gap and make sure the work of brilliant minds (whether in science or any field) gets shared with the world.
If you’re a scientist but not a communicator, let me help you tell your story! Find me at thescientistswhisperer.com.
