The Medical Research Council (MRC) Max Perutz Award was set up to recognise and encourage MRC PhD students in communicating their research to the public. Through this award we aim to help support their career development and enhance their skills to become future leaders in science.
In 2024, we piloted 60-second videos only with consideration to having both video and written entries in future years. This is informed by feedback from MRC PhD students and our ambition for a broader science communication award that is more accessible, diverse and inclusive.
Why is engaging the public with your research important to you?
Amy McCall (winner), University of Oxford
I think that encouraging open and honest conversations around mental health is really important, and I hope that engaging the public with my research will play a part in that.
I also want to centre my work around the voices of people who have experienced the problems I’m working on, and public engagement is key to achieving that.
Divya Bhagtani, MRC Epidemiology Unit
Research must not exist in isolation. By engaging the public, I can ensure that the knowledge generated reaches beyond academic circles and contributes to society more broadly.
Engaging with diverse communities often uncovers perspectives that may not otherwise have been considered during the research process. These perspectives can help shape research questions, improve study designs, and ensure the outcomes are relevant and inclusive for all.
Natasha Seaton, King’s College London
A lot of really interesting research is publicly funded. It’s only right that the public get to hear about new discoveries – whether that’s just for their personal interest, or indeed empowerment! It feels increasingly important that science is universally accessible and engaging.
Good science communication should go beyond simplifying information, but work to build trust, inspire the next generation, and allow the public to make informed decisions for themselves.
Amy McCall, MRC Max Perutz Award 2024 winner and Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of MRC. Credit: Joel Knight
How did you decide on the style of your video?
Anna Edmondson, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
I decided to do a bit of a ‘Day in the Life of a Scientist’ approach, as I feel it’s important for the public to see the researcher behind the science. Most people are more likely to connect with and trust science if they can see a character they can relate to.
And for many people, my day-to-day life as a lab-based researcher is a bit of a mystery. So taking the audience inside the lab is a great way to create transparency and immerse the audience in a research topic.
Amy McCall
I knew I wanted to centre my video around a young person’s story to help the audience understand how it feels to experience panic disorder as a teenager. Panic is a very intense, frightening internal experience but can be hard to understand from the outside as an observer.
Animation allowed me to create Ash, my young person, and to visualise her experience with panic and the sense of isolation it can cause. I hoped that this would bring the viewer into Ash’s experience in the short 60 second time limit.
Connor Dalby (runner-up), University of Glasgow
I’m a big fan of using regular objects and metaphors when explaining science. I also really love trying to find a bit of humour in the narrative. The crème egg narrative naturally arose from a combination of those two.
60-second videos
For this year’s award, we challenged MRC PhD students to create a 60-second video on why their area of research matters. Watch all shortlisted videos on our YouTube Shorts playlist.
Are there any science communicators you’re inspired by?
Amy McCall
As a teenager I read Ben Goldacre’s ‘Bad Science’, a book about pseudoscience and the dangers of misrepresenting scientific evidence. I felt totally hooked by it, and it played a part in my decision to study psychology (a scientific discipline which is often discussed very unscientifically in the media!). Goldacre’s ability to convey really important scientific principles in such a clear and entertaining way continues to inspire me years later.
Connor Dalby
For me it’s a classic – Professor Brian Cox – his ability to capture the public’s imagination and inspire wonder around some of the most complex topics in science is truly incredible. It’s one of my (many) dreams to do to Neuroscience what Professor Cox did to Physics!
Divya Bhagtani
Dr Jane Goodall, for her ground-breaking research in conservation. She has an extraordinary ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, inspiring action and awareness about environmental sustainability through her storytelling and passion for wildlife.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone wanting to engage the public with their research?
Anna Edmondson
Find your hook. There’s always a topic of general interest to the public which relates to your research area. For me, as a circadian biologist that’s sleep.
People love talking about their sleep! So when I need to engage the public, I usually get the conversation going by talking about people’s sleep, and then move into how sleep relates to circadian biology. So just find that topic, and use it to hook in your audience before going into your specific area of research in detail.
Amy McCall
Friends and family can be a really valuable resource! Talk about your research to the people in your life. It’s a great way to practise pitching things to a non-expert audience and to understand which aspects of your work are trickiest to understand.
Connor Dalby
Assume nothing…You will be surprised just how quickly someone with no prior knowledge can quickly grasp your subject area and start asking you amazing questions that test how well you really know your stuff!
What’s one thing you’re taking away from your experience as an MRC Max Perutz finalist?
Anna Edmondson
As a fairly introverted, shy individual, entering a video was a huge challenge for me, so it has been massively rewarding to demonstrate that even introverted, shy scientists can excel in public engagement.
And that, alongside masterclass training and networking with other talented science communicators has inspired me to continue to get involved in public engagement after my PhD.
Divya Bhagtani
It challenged me to think beyond technical details and focus on the broader ‘big picture’ impact of my research. Preparing a 60-second video required me to step out of my comfort zone and explore new ways to present my research visually and narratively.
Natasha Seaton
That science communication isn’t an ‘add on’, but something to prioritise. It was amazing to meet the other finalists and people involved in the competition and in the industry.
It feels cliché to say but it’s always very inspiring to meet talented and interesting people. And quite the range of talents! Who knew that a bunch of PhD students could cosplay as video editors, illustrators, graphic designers, TV presenters and more!
MRC Max Perutz Award 2024 shortlisted students. Left to right: Amy McCall (winner); Natasha Seaton; Anna Edmondson; Divya Bhagtani and Connor Dalby. Credit: Joel Knight
Bridging the gap between research and society
Encouraging researchers to communicate their science is an important part of MRC’s work and helps drive towards our mission to improve human health through world-class medical research.
By recognising good science communication and making research accessible, we can show the importance of medical research in making a difference to people’s lives.
Through initiatives like the MRC Max Perutz Award, we’re helping to bridge the gap between research and society.
Top image: MRC Max Perutz Award 2024 shortlisted students. Left to right: Divya Bhagtani; Natasha Seaton; Amy McCall; Anna Edmondson; and Connor Dalby. Credit: Joel Knight
Emily is part of the Digital and Social Media team. Her job involves using social media platforms to tell the story of UKRI’s research and innovation to a range of audiences, including demonstrating the value and impact of research to the public.