7th annual ComSciCon Chicago
Join us on October 21st- 22nd at Rush University's Armour Academic Center - Room 994, 600 S Paulina St, Chicago, IL 60612.
ComSciCon-Chicago is a workshop designed to empower graduate students to communicate complex concepts arising in science, engineering, and other technical fields to diverse audiences. Attendees will interact with and learn from fellow graduate student leaders in science communication, expert journalists, communication researchers, and scientists. Attendees will produce and receive expert feedback on original pieces of non-technical writing.
There is no cost to attendees to attend ComSciCon–Chicago
We encourage you to follow us on Instagram (@chicagocomscicon) and Twitter (@chicagosci) for updates.
To request more information, please contact chicago@comscicon.org!
ComSciCon-Chicago 2023 is organized by graduate students from University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Rush University, and University of Illinois, Chicago.
ComSciCon-Chicago 2023 is organized by:
Lily Burton
Lily is a PhD student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at University of Chicago. Her research focuses on circadian rhythms in photosynthetic bacteria and aims to identify and investigate the cellular processes that are guided by those rhythms. Outside of research, Lily is interested in making science and research more accessible. Lily has written for the UChicago Medicine Forefront and the Biological Sciences Division news site, covering research being done at UChicago for audiences beyond academia, as well as the Science Unsealed blog. She has also led the Disabilities Advocacy team for the Graduate Recruitment Initiative Team (GRIT) at UChicago which aims to support grad students with disabilities and mental health struggles. She enjoys all manner of craft projects, creative writing, thrift shopping, and spending time in nature. You can find her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Irma Avdic
Irma is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on developing novel computational techniques to maximally utilize noisy quantum computers as new-generation quantum sensors. When not doing science, Irma engages in various outreach activities that communicate science to elementary and high school students through the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and the University of Chicago. In her free time, you can find Irma nodding along to social psychology podcasts (Hidden Brain as my #1), experimenting with healthy recipes in the kitchen, rollerblading along the Lakefront, or tending to her houseplant jungle. You can find her on LinkedIn.
Aashutosh Shetti
Aashu has a PhD in Neuroscience from UIC and recently started his Postdoctoral research at Northwestern University . With a background in Neurodegenerative diseases, Aashu is curious to understand the role of non-neuronal cells in Alzheimer’s Disease. When he is not in the lab, Aashu is often exploring various Chicago neighborhoods on his bike to try various cuisines. He enjoys participating in community events and volunteers for Pilsen Food pantry on the weekends. He has a collection of more than 25 house plants and often shares his plant cuttings with aspiring & fellow plant parents. You can find him on Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn.
Delia Alkhatib
Delia Alkhatib is a PhD student of Integrative Biomedical Sciences at Rush University. Her research focuses on determining the contribution of Wnt signaling on the periodontal pathologies associated with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) at Dr. Ryan Ross lab, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University. Outside the lab, Delia is engaged in science communication through ComSciCon as co-chair of Chicago chapter and chair of marketing. She's chair of TEDxRushU, chair of Professional Development of RMA at Rush University. Delia likes to design scientific cartoon lab guidebooks. In her free time, Delia sketches cartoon paintings, sews, cooks and bakes, designs healthy cooking and baking recipes, writes short stories and poems, and volunteer in social activities and theater acting. Also, she likes to play basketball, table tennis and chess. She takes care of a tiny-forest at her apartment too! You can find her on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter.
Valeria C. Torres Irizarry
Valeria is a Ph.D. Candidate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Valeria belongs to Dr. Pingwen Xu’s lab where she works using optogenetic tools and neuronal tracing techniques to understand the role of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) signaling in the brain and elucidate the mechanisms by which ERα-expressing neurons regulate adipose tissue function and energy homeostasis. After graduation, Valeria wants to pursue a career in science communication. In her free time, she enjoys doing fitness training and visiting the spa to relax. You can Valeria on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
Jin Yi Tan
Jeanie, was raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She received her B.Sc in Chemistry and minored in environmental studies at the University of Michigan. At the Brian Murphy Lab at UIC, she works closely with a high-throughput robotics system for automated bacterial colony picking in order to discover antibiotics from a new ‘Environment to Bioassay’ discovery approach she developed. She leads a STEM outreach program in partnership with community centers located in underserved areas of Chicago such as the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club. As an IL-IN Sea Grant Grad Student Scholar, Jeanie has also trained in scientific diving to explore the capacity of aquatic bacteria to produce new antibiotic sources. You can read more about her work here or check out her Twitter.
Kierstin Webster
Kierstin is an MD/PhD candidate in Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition at the University of Chicago. Their research focuses on how biological sex can protect from- or predispose to- autoimmune disease, particularly in type 1 diabetes. Beyond presenting at scientific conferences and teaching in the college, Kierstin has enjoyed sharing science with the community by co-teaching an after-school science club for 3rdgraders (South Side Science Scholars) and volunteering with food access project Feed1st. In her free time, you can find Kierstin biking along the lakefront, learning a new craft medium, or gleefully pointing the Seek app at every living thing in Chicago.
Bailey Nash
Bailey is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. Her research uses sedimentary proxies to reconstruct past climate in Arctic regions, with the ultimate goal of gaining a better understanding of current and future impacts of modern climate change. Outside of her research, Bailey is involved in a number of projects seeking to make science more equitable through community-oriented science communication and direct collaboration with the communities we work in or with. In her free time, Bailey enjoys preparing and sharing food with loved ones and exploring her beautiful city on bike. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
Ebere Okpara
Ebere Okpara is a second-year Ph.D. student in Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her research delves into health economics, pharmacoepidemiology, and the outcomes of medicine and health services, focusing on health equity. Beyond academics, she is an enthusiast of Afrobeat music, traveling, adrenaline-filled activities, and savoring Jollof rice. You can connect with her on LinkedIn to explore her academic journey and shared interests