A time of challenge and opportunity for science communicators

The 9th installment of the Conférences de la Montagne lecture series, presented as part of the Acfas convention, will feature Caroline Quach-Thanh, risen to prominence in a time of crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic placed scientific research and discourse under unprecedented public scrutiny. Scientists were in the spotlight, tasked with explaining sometimes complex and nuanced concepts under intense political and media pressure. How can and should scientists, the media and politicians interact during a crisis? What public stance should scientists take? Should they push a single official message or should many voices be heard, presenting all sides of the issue with all the grey areas? These questions will be discussed by Université de Montréal professors Caroline Quach-Thanh and Ryoa Chung, and Amélie Quesnel-Vallée of McGill University, in a panel on reconciling science, media and politics in times of crisis , moderated by media personality Marie-France Bazzo. The event will take place on May 9 at the 90th Acfas convention as part of the Conférences de la Montagne lecture series. Dr. Quach-Thanh is an internationally renowned microbiologist-infectiologist affiliated with Sainte-Justine hospital and is the Canada Research Chair in Infection Prevention and Control. She was one of the media's go-to experts during the pandemic.