Columns

• Public engagement with science in India: Making the whole greater than the sum of its parts

  

  Over the last year and a half, we have seen a burgeoning of efforts at communicating (COVID-19 ) science to the public. But, did we have a pandemic-ready science communication machinery in the first place? In this article, Sarah Iqbal and Banya Kar, authors of a recent survey report by India Alliance on public engagement with science in India, make a case for the why’s and how’s of engaging public with science before the next health crisis hits us.

  Posted on Sep 06, 2021

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• Science as a community enterprise: In conversation with Mriganka Sur

  

  Mriganka Sur is the Newton Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT. He has also acted as the jury chair for the Infosys Prize in the field of life sciences for the past several years. IndiaBioscience recently had the opportunity to chat with him about the current status of life science research in India, some of the common challenges, and the road ahead for the community. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

  Posted on Jun 21, 2021 in Policy, Advice & Research

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• Call for a national strategy to make biomedical research more human-relevant

  

  Scientists are increasingly lobbying for non-animal models for biomedical research, given that subtle genetic differences between humans and animals can lead to pronounced differences in disease severity. Advanced technologies such as organs-on-chips are showing potential to make biomedical research more human-relevant. Surat reports on a recent virtual event that initiated a dialogue on the possibilities and challenges of implementing human-relevant models and frameworks in India.

  
  

  Posted on May 10, 2021 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Policy & Events

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• Looking afresh at GM Crops: The wait has been long enough

  

  While the advantages of genetically modified (GM) crops have been widely studied, the Indian agricultural community has been slow to accept and adopt them. In this opinion piece, Monika Koul and Ashok Bhatnagar examine the issues that are holding back widespread usage of this promising technology, and the potential benefits that it might offer farmers.

  Posted on Jan 25, 2021 in Agriculture & Policy

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• Equitable digital education – blockers and enablers

  

  The push for digital mode of education in recent times has surfaced the 'digital divide' that exists in our society. In this article, educator Charu Dogra Rawat and her former student, Pranjal Gupta, highlight the various roadblocks en route to equitable digital education, and the efforts that might bridge the divide.

  Posted on Aug 10, 2020 in Policy, Teaching & Education

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• How can science education research be used for improving college teaching?

  

  Science education research delves into a multitude of ways through which the teaching practices in a science classroom can be better aligned with its learning goals. In this article, Ashish Nerlekar, a doctoral candidate and a Teaching Assistant studying grassland ecology at Texas A&M University, USA, describes some of the ideas provided by such research, to improve college teaching.

  Posted on Jul 20, 2020 in Policy, Teaching & Undergraduate

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• COVID-19 and Mental Health: “It is important to bring in a sense of cohesiveness”

  

  A catastrophe at the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic affects us not only at the physical level but also leaves an indelible imprint on our mental well-being. We spoke to Biju Viswanath, faculty at the Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, about possible mental-health-related consequences of the present situation and what individuals and families can do to cultivate resilience.

  Posted on Apr 20, 2020 in COVID-19 & Mental Health

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