Creating connections when we talk about science.

For Cell's 50th anniversary Focus on Immunology, scientific editor Cheri Sirois asked science communicator Liz Neeley, founding partner of Liminal and cofounder of Solving for Science, to discuss strategies for tackling technical complexity and for engaging effectively with broad audiences. A lightly edited transcript of their conversation is shared here.

Advancing accessible science for low-vision and diverse-needs communities.

Science can often be inaccessible for people with disabilities, including those with low vision or blindness. Below, we hear from Jamie Rossjohn and Erica Tandori regarding the insights and experiences into the establishment of an internship program for people with disabilities and the evolution of Monash Sensory Science-from a one-off exhibition event for blind and low-vision communities to a national and international multisensory, accessible science initiative, championing a more inclusive approach to science communication.

Londa Schiebinger.

Dr. Londa Schiebinger is an international leader on the intersection of sex, gender, and science. In this interview with Cell, she discusses the Gendered Innovations project, the persistent STEM gender gap, the importance of considering sex- and gender-related variables and intersectionality in research, and the future of sex and gender research.

One less weary smile.

Camryn Carter is the winner of the third annual Rising Black Scientists Award for an undergraduate scholar in the physical, data, earth, and environmental sciences. For this award, we asked emerging Black scientists to tell us about their scientific vision and goals, experiences that sparked their interest in science, how they want to contribute to a more inclusive scientific community, and how these all fit together on their journey. This is her story.

Enhancing translation of science into non-English languages.

Translating scientific findings from English to other native languages is essential to make sure that they can be integrated into timely and informed dialogue with policymakers and a diverse range of audiences who are affected by the science. Here, we present innovative approaches how to enhance access to scientific knowledge in non-English languages.

Early career Latinas in STEM: Challenges and solutions.

Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Central American Ancestry (MPRCA) individuals represent 82% of US Latinos. An intergenerational group of MPRCA women and allies met to discuss persistent underrepresentation of MPRCA women in STEM, identifying multi-level challenges and solutions. Implementation of these solutions is important and will benefit MPRCA women and the entire academic community.

My Christmas holidays.

Admirabilis Kalolella Jr. is the winner of the third annual Rising Black Scientists Award for an undergraduate scholar in the life and health sciences. For this award, we asked emerging Black scientists to tell us about their scientific vision and goals, experiences that sparked their interest in science, how they want to contribute to a more inclusive scientific community, and how these all fit together on their journey. This is his story.

What does Juneteenth mean in STEMM?

Juneteenth commemorates the freeing of the last large group of enslaved people in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War. We asked several Black scientists what Juneteenth means to them in the context of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM)? Their answers run the emotional gamut.

The power of storytelling in STEM.

Elea-Maria Abisamra is an honors undergraduate student and research fellow at Virginia Tech. She is majoring in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and has passions for STEM, writing, and entrepreneurship. In June 2022, Elea acted on her dream and founded Kids Can Write, becoming a CEO of a global nonprofit organization helping turn kids into published authors while teaching them STEM in an innovative and unique way. This is her story.

The art and science of building castles in the sky and houses of cards that don't collapse.

The creative process in art and science involves two phases-generating and exploring new and wild ideas (building castles in the sky) and then narrowing down and focusing on the most tractable and useful ones (building houses of cards that don't topple over).

The voices of Ukrainian and Russian scientists.

The brutal attack on Ukraine by the Russian Federation has shocked the world. While the world works to end the violence and help refugees, as a scientific journal, our thoughts are also with those in the scientific community who are directly or indirectly impacted by the war. We have been inspired by and applaud the labs around the world that have opened their doors to displaced scientists and remain committed to supporting scientists, whoever and wherever they are. Because science requires collaboration and trust, we urge the scientific community to continue efforts like this and to remain united, especially in times as difficult as these. In this Voices piece, we feature short comments from scientists from Ukraine and scientists from Russia. This small sampling is far from exhaustive, but our sincere thanks go to those scientists who were willing to share their thoughts on this volatile and emotionally charged situation; the views expressed are those of the contributors alone. We join the world in hoping for a swift resolution to the conflict, for the good of humanity.

The surprise element: A hallmark of creativity in scientists, artists, and comedians.

Truly creative works of science and art produce unexpected and surprising results-just like the punch line of a good joke that generates an unfamiliar twist on a familiar idea. Surprise stimulates curiosity, which triggers a search to reveal the mystery of things unknown.

STEM Pride: Perspectives from transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer scientists.

In celebration of Pride Month, we asked transgender, genderqueer, and nonbinary scientists to tell us about what fascinates them, their ambitions and achievements, and how their gender identities have shaped their experiences in STEM. We owe a special thanks to 500 Queer Scientists (https://500queerscientists.com/), whose network and efforts at increasing LGBTQ+ scientists' visibility made this article possible.

Unrealized potential from smaller institutions: Four strategies for advancing STEM diversity.

Diversity within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains disturbingly low. Relative to larger, highly funded universities, smaller schools harbor more diverse student demographics and more limited resources. Here, we propose four strategies leveraging the unique advantages of smaller institutions to advance underrepresented scholars along STEM pathways.

Creating collaboration by breaking down scientific barriers.

The scientific world rewards the individual while often discouraging collaboration. However, times of crisis show us how much more we can accomplish when we work together. Here, we describe our approach to breaking down silos and fostering global collaborations and share the lessons we have learned, especially pertaining to research on SARS-CoV-2.

Scientific impact in a changing world.

Measuring scientific success has traditionally involved numbers and statistics. However, due to an increasingly uncertain world, more than ever we need to measure the effect that science has on real-world scenarios. We asked researchers to share their points of view on what scientific impact means to them and how impact matters beyond the numbers.

Active learning-based STEM education for in-person and online learning.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced the higher education sector to transition to an uncharted remote-learning format. This offers an opportunity to adopt active learning, which increases students' performance compared to lectures, narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students, and promotes equity and inclusivity, as the basis of STEM education.

How to Boost the Impact of Scientific Conferences.

We can maximize the impact of scientific conferences by uploading all conference presentations, posters, and abstracts to highly trafficked public repositories for each content type. Talks can be hosted on sites like YouTube and Youku, posters can be published on Figshare, and papers and abstracts can become open access preprints.

How Support of Early Career Researchers Can Reset Science in the Post-COVID19 World.

The COVID19 crisis has magnified the issues plaguing academic science, but it has also provided the scientific establishment with an unprecedented opportunity to reset. Shoring up the foundation of academic science will require a concerted effort between funding agencies, universities, and the public to rethink how we support scientists, with a special emphasis on early career researchers.

Patching the Leaks: Revitalizing and Reimagining the STEM Pipeline.

We identify problematic areas throughout the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pipeline that perpetuate racial disparities in academia. Distinct ways to curtail these disparities include early exposure and access to resources, supportive mentoring networks and comprehensive training programs specifically for racially minoritized students and trainees at each career stage. These actions will revitalize the STEM pipeline.