Communicating what research is and isn’t

Tracey Brown OBE is the director of Sense about Science. Under her leadership, the charity has launched important initiatives to promote open discussions of evidence, including Risk know-how and AllTrials - a global campaign for the reporting of all clinical trial outcomes. She initiated Evidence Week in the UK Parliament and co-founded the international Maddox prize. Tracey writes about the public and evidence, and leads Sense about Science’s work on transparency of evidence and AI in policy. She is honorary Professor in the Department of Science, Technology and Engineering in Public Policy at UCL. 

Deborah Logan is Publishing Director for Elsevier’s Energy & Earth journals’ programme, which is the largest global publishing programme in the energy and earth sciences, and which includes many flagship titles publishing world-class content. In her current role, Deborah leads a dynamic team in the creation and management of diverse publishing programs that engage over 4,000 editors in handling more than 100,000 journal article submissions per year. In recent years, Deborah has focused on introducing a strong inclusion and diversity commitment across the portfolio; building networks and partnerships with researchers in the Global South; and championing a focus on content and activities around the clean energy transition. 

Deborah is based in Paris and has been working with Elsevier since 2006. Before then, she worked at Oxford University Press in UK; at a non-governmental agency in Kenya; with the Japanese Ministry of Education; and at Sony in Japan. Deborah’s passions lie in raising standards in the publication of research, championing excellence, and promoting greater diversity in science. 

Dr. Mu Rongping has published more than 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 20 books/reports concerning technology transfer, technology foresight, the international competitiveness of hi-tech industry, and innovation development policy. Dr. Mu was Director-general of the Institute of Policy and Management of CAS, the Dean of School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM) of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the President of the China High-tech Industry Promotion Society (CHIPS), a member of Economic and Scientific Advisory Board of European Patent Office and a member of International Advisory Board of Thailand Government Office of S&T and Innovation, a member of the Governing Board of International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the Auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC).

Zainab Kidwai is a dentist and public health researcher tackling oral cancer through low-cost, community-first solutions. After witnessing late-stage cases in rural India, she pursued a Master's in Dental Public Health and a PhD focussed on early detection. She developed an oral cancer screening toolkit with 27 head and neck cancer experts and built a prototype app that trains community health workers and links patients to care. Zainab now leads efforts to develop an AI-based screening tool for South Asia. She co-founded the BALLANCE cancer network to foster global research, mentorship, and knowledge exchange in head and neck cancer. Her latest project is Guardians of the Shining Light, a video game that uses storytelling to challenge tobacco norms. She is a 2023 Falling Walls Female Science Talent Champion.
 

Alejandra Paniagua-Avila, Guatemala – Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University (USA); President and Co-founder, Asociación para la Salud Mental Saqirsán.

Alejandra Paniagua-Avila is a Guatemalan medical doctor and early career scientist dedicated to advancing access to recovery-oriented mental health services for all. She has a particular interest in addressing the health and social needs.