We live in the era of information overload. Avalanches of information, data, and events… that are difficult to digest. Furthermore, immediacy puts veracity at risk. So, faced with the danger of the flood of information surrounding us, we must know how to be relevant by communicating in a rigorous and attractive way. And this is applicable in any area of our lives. Yes, also when it comes to communicating science.
The importance of communicating science
On May 23 and 24, the 6th FERO Retreat was held under the motto, “If you don’t tell it, it doesn’t count”. As every year, the Foundation organizes scientific sessions with all the FERO Grant winners to promote the creation of synergies and improve the research ecosystem in Spain.
On this occasion, it took place in Pamplona, at Cima (Center for Applied Medical Research) of the University of Navarra, and both the presentations and the round table were focused on a central theme: communication.
FERO Scientific Retreat 2024: Day One
The Retreat began with a talk by Dr. Arantxa Gómez, coach and communication specialist, highlighting the importance of using metaphors, analogies, or storytelling to connect with our interlocutor.
She also emphasized that, to communicate science effectively, we must know our audience perfectly and not forget the 4 pillars of discourse: attention, comprehension, recall, and credibility.
During the training, attendees participated in a group dynamic addressing different ways of communicating. Four working groups were formed with the objective of developing an elevator pitch to explain the importance of oncology research to patients, donors, oncologists, and researchers.
Later, we continued with the presentation “The art of communicating, the art of creating moments,” by Dr. Antonia Tomás-Loba, group leader at the University of Murcia and winner of the 17th FERO Grant.
Loba introduced us to the fascinating world of communication in nature, and invited us to look without haste, listen without pause, and treat the interlocutor with the right words, fostering the art of creating unique moments.
“Every conversation is unique and unrepeatable, like every vibration. It depends on us, on our energy, the impact we generate on others and around us,” stated Dr. Loba.
FERO Scientific Retreat 2024: Day Two
The next day, we started the meeting with two morning teams: one for running through the old town of Pamplona and another for yoga. The yoga session was taught by teacher Raquel Rodríguez, specialized in oncology yoga, thanks to the collaboration of the Radika Foundation.
Next, Mr. Heber Longás, a scientific infographic designer, brought us closer to the exciting world of infographics with the dynamic titled: An infographic is worth a thousand words. We realized that these can be a fantastic tool when communicating science.
From Heber, we took away the basic laws of any infographic to successfully transmit our scientific project. First, understand the message to be communicated (core), define small texts (mantle), and finally finish it with a headline and a larger image (crust). If you are curious and want to follow his work closely, you can do so here.
The training included a practical session in which AI tools were used to create scientific infographics and thus be able to represent results creatively.
Mid-morning, a round table open to the public was held, featuring Josep Corbella, journalist and scientific communicator for La Vanguardia; Silvia Garriga, president of the FERO Foundation; Dr. Marta Alonso, researcher and co-director of the Solid Tumors Program at Cima; and Raquel Rodríguez, breast cancer patient and journalist. The table was moderated by Lucía Gastón, professor in the Department of Journalistic Projects at the Faculty of Communication of the University of Navarra.
The Cima Assembly Hall was completely full, and under the title “If you don’t tell it, it doesn’t count. Communication as a key element to finding a cure for cancer,” we were able to understand the difference between novel or important news, how to discard all communications about cancer that use warlike terminology, or avoid alarmist messages. In short, we learned to take care of language without overselling scientific advances and to think about the emotional and physical needs of the patient.
We ended the Retreat on a high note with talks by Mr. Josep Corbella, journalist and scientific communicator for La Vanguardia, offering a very close view of the inner workings of the written press, and by Dr. Arkaitz Carracedo, Group Leader at CIC bioGUNE and winner of the 7th FERO Grant, who delighted us with a presentation on tools for communicating and leading.
From both talks, we left with a clear idea of what interests the media and the importance of scientific dissemination as a shaper of our thinking.
If you don’t tell it, it doesn’t count. Conclusions of the FERO Scientific Retreat 2024
More than 40 “ferito” researchers
, FERO Grant winners since 2009, who spend their day-to-day between the laboratory and consultations, were able to dedicate two days to looking at their projects from another point of view, exchanging opinions, improving their vision, and equipping themselves with tools to make their innovation reach more people, always with excellence and rigor as a foundation.
Among the attendees at the sessions were personalities from the health and scientific fields, such as Dr. Ignacio Melero, co-director of the Immunotherapy Program at Cima and CUN; Dr. Aleix Prat, trustee of the FERO Foundation and director of the Cancer Center at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Dr. Manel Juan, head of the Immunology service at Hospital Clínic; or Dr. Héctor García-Palmer, researcher at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO). Worth noting was the presence of Mr. Eusebio Garcia-Morera, trustee of the Foundation, who participated actively throughout the sessions and highlighted the value of the scientific community created by FERO.
“For the board of trustees, it is important and of great value to be able to share these days with our ‘feritos’, as we understand better what they need and how we can help them, and it motivates us even more to continue the legacy of our founder, Dr. Baselga.”
These scientific sessions were possible thanks to the significant collaboration of Cima and the Radika Foundation.
Thank you very much to everyone for making it possible! From the FERO team, we are looking forward to seeing you in the next edition!
