Dilini Imbulana

During my Master of Biomedical Science degree, one particular subject stood out for me as a budding researcher- ‘Communication for Research Scientists’ taught by Dr. Jenny Martin. I never considered myself to be a confident public speaker, but Jenny’s enthusiasm and ability to create a comfortable environment with her students, encouraged me to share my passion with the class. The skills I learnt in this subject helped beyond my Master’s degree, including writing my final thesis, abstracts for conferences and oral presentations at professional symposiums.

After the completion of my research project, I was lucky to be accepted for a number of conferences around the world, putting my oral presentation and communication skills to the test. I’ve had the opportunity to listen to and meet incredible researchers, practising the art of communication. Now, I am using these skills on a daily basis as a Research Assistant in the area of Gynaecology. I recruit patients into clinical research studies and need to make sure I explain the details of the studies in a clear and concise manner.

Learning how to effectively communicate your research to different audiences is one of the most valuable skills as a researcher, whether you are talking/writing to a potential participant of your study, fellow researchers or a global audience. Otherwise how will you share your work to create positive change!