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Abstract:
This episode of MicrobeTV's "Immune Booster" features Cindy Lifer in conversation with Aimee Pugh Bernard, an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado, discussing her unique career trajectory and profound passion for teaching and public science communication. Bernard's path, from an immunology PhD studying B cells in lupus to roles in intense undergraduate teaching and clinical guideline development, ultimately led her to spearhead human immunology initiatives and innovative "fun-size" workshops for faculty. A significant portion of her current work is dedicated to translating complex scientific research into accessible language for the general public, aiming to overcome barriers like paywalls and jargon, humanize scientists, and ensure foundational science receives recognition and funding. She emphasizes the critical role of social media in reaching younger audiences and offers practical advice for aspiring science communicators, advocating for mandatory communication training in scientific curricula.
Summarizing "Immune Booster 16: Teaching and communicating immunology with Aimee Pugh Bernard"
0:00 - 0:25 Introducing the Episode: Host Cindy Lifer introduces Aimee Pugh Bernard, an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado, highlighting her role as an outstanding science communicator.
0:41 - 1:20 Aimee's Role and Online Presence: Aimee is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Medical Campus, a member of the AAI Public Communications Committee, has videos on Immunology Explained, and is active on social media as "Funsize Immuno Ninja."
1:37 - 2:23 Non-Traditional Career Path: Aimee discusses her career, starting with a biology undergraduate degree and a PhD in immunology from the University of Rochester, where she studied VH4-34 B cells in human lupus as a model for human B cell tolerance. She always loved teaching and aspired to be a professor.
2:45 - 2:57 "Challenge Accepted" Philosophy: She often heard that one "can't just focus on teaching," which motivated her to prove otherwise.
3:03 - 4:22 Postdoctoral Work: She completed two postdocs, initially in developmental biology due to an interest in Type 1 diabetes and autoimmunity, but quickly returned to immunology after a year.
4:22 - 6:28 Intense Undergraduate Teaching: Aimee held an instructor role at CU Denver, teaching four undergraduate classes per semester (immunology, genetics, molecular, virology, etc.) to hundreds of students, which led to burnout.
6:34 - 6:54 Brief Hospital Role: She spent a year at Children's Hospital, helping physicians write guidelines and protocols by translating scientific information.
7:01 - 8:12 Return to CU Anschutz and Major Initiative: She was rehired by her former postdoc boss, John Cambier, to coordinate a $20 million grant for a human immunology and immunotherapy initiative at CU Colorado, establishing resources like an immune monitoring lab and recruiting top talent.
8:36 - 9:57 "Fun-Size Human Immunology" Workshops: A key part of her role involved creating intensive "fun-size human immunology" mini-workshops (three 8-hour days) for faculty and postdocs without formal immunology training, covering basics, disease states, therapeutics, and assays, which saw huge demand.
10:50 - 11:17 Current Teaching and Career Shift: Her current teaching responsibilities include med, physician assistant, and graduate students. She is increasingly shifting her focus towards science communication.
11:28 - 12:22 Advice on Career Pathways: Aimee encourages aspiring scientists not to be constrained by traditional paths, to accept challenges, be adventurous, and explore opportunities that arise.
13:01 - 15:03 Advocating for Foundational Science: Her current science communication role involves working with six basic science departments at CU Anschutz to translate their research for the general public. The goal is to gain recognition and funding for foundational science, which often underpins clinical advances but lacks public visibility.
15:11 - 17:09 Overcoming Communication Barriers: She identifies paywalls and scientific jargon as major barriers to public understanding. She stresses that scientists often lose the skill of communicating in plain language during their training, making even paper titles inaccessible.
17:10 - 18:21 Communicating "Small Wins": Aimee urges scientists to share "small wins" and frequent updates about their research's impact, rather than waiting years for major publications, to maintain public engagement and awareness.
18:35 - 22:21 Her Science Communication Process: She initiates contact with scientists, requests papers, sends a questionnaire (covering research, career, inspirations, and personal interests to humanize them), then writes "Meet the Scientist" profiles or "exciting discovery" summaries in plain language for the public-facing website, seeking scientist review for accuracy.
22:48 - 24:43 Involvement with "Unbiased Science": Voluntarily contributes her immunology expertise to "Unbiased Science," a platform run by an epidemiologist, creating content for Substacks and social media, always citing scientific literature and accessible sources.
24:54 - 26:34 The Importance of Social Media: She highlights that 65% of people under 30 get their news from social media, making it crucial for scientists to be present to counter misinformation. She encourages more scientists, especially older colleagues, to join social media platforms.
26:34 - 30:42 Advice for Trainees in Science Communication: She recommends taking free workshops/mini-courses (e.g., CCTSI, Invest in Science), exploring friendly social media platforms like Instagram, and writing for trainee-focused blogs like "Science Bites" (which offers vetting/editing support). She believes science communication should be a mandatory part of scientific training.
30:54 - 31:41 Fun Personal Tidbit: Aimee, nicknamed "Funsize" because she's 5'2", started Taekwondo with her children 12 years ago, and they all earned 2nd-degree black belts.
Glossary of Medical / Biological Terms:
AAI Public Communications Committee: American Association of Immunologists' committee focused on communicating immunology to the public.
Antibodies: Proteins produced by the immune system that recognize and neutralize pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
Assays: Analytical tests used to measure the presence, amount, or functional activity of a target entity (e.g., a specific molecule or cell).
Autoimmune Disease / Autoimmunity: A condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells, tissues, and organs.
B cells: A type of white blood cell (lymphocyte) that produces antibodies as part of the adaptive immune system.
Checkpoint Inhibitors: A type of cancer immunotherapy that blocks proteins that prevent immune cells from attacking cancer.
CU Anschutz: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
CAR T-cells (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells): A type of immunotherapy where a patient's T cells are genetically engineered to recognize and fight cancer.
Developmental Biology: The scientific study of the processes by which organisms grow and develop.
Dichroic Mirrors: Optical filters that selectively reflect specific wavelengths of light while allowing others to pass through.
Epidemiology: The branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.
Foundational Science: Basic scientific research that explores fundamental questions, often without immediate practical application, but which forms the basis for future technological and medical advancements.
Human B cell tolerance in lupus: In healthy individuals, the immune system develops "tolerance" to prevent B cells from attacking the body's own components. In lupus, an autoimmune disease, this tolerance breaks down, leading to B cells producing self-reactive antibodies.
Human Immune Monitoring Shared Resource Lab: A facility dedicated to analyzing patient immune cells and responses, often for clinical trials or research into new immunotherapies.
Immunology: The branch of biology and medicine concerned with the study of the immune system.
Immunotherapy: A type of cancer treatment that boosts the body's natural defenses to fight cancer.
Jargon: Specialized vocabulary or expressions used by a particular profession or group that are difficult for outsiders to understand.
Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus): A chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage.
Microbe.tv: A science podcast network focused on microbiology, virology, immunology, and other related fields.
Monoclonal Antibodies: Laboratory-produced antibodies that mimic the body's natural antibodies to fight off harmful pathogens or cancerous cells.
Pancreatic Beta Cells: Cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone essential for regulating blood sugar. Their destruction leads to Type 1 diabetes.
Paywalls: A system requiring payment or subscription to access online content, such as scientific journal articles.
Peltier Cooler (Thermoelectric Cooler): An electronic device that transfers heat from one side to the other, often used to cool electronic components like CCD sensors.
Postdoc (Postdoctoral Researcher): A researcher who has completed their doctoral degree (PhD) and is conducting further research, often in preparation for an academic or research career.
Preclinical Human Mouse Model: Animal models (mice) that have been engineered or modified to mimic aspects of the human immune system or disease, used for testing experimental therapies before human trials.
Substack: An online platform allowing writers to publish newsletters directly to subscribers, often used for independent journalism and commentary.
Taekwondo: A Korean martial art characterized by its emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.
Therapeutics: Treatments or drugs used to cure diseases or relieve symptoms.
TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) Interface: A digital signaling standard commonly used for communication between electronic devices.
VH4-34: A specific gene segment (Variable Heavy Chain 4-34) used by human B cells to produce the antigen-binding part of an antibody. Antibodies made with this segment are frequently found to be autoreactive, meaning they can target the body's own tissues.