I had
always been a strong believer that communication and scientific innovation must go hand in hand for science to do public good. That was why, after completing my role as a Communication and Information Dissemination Lead on a food manufacturing project at the University of Lincoln, and I saw an opportunity to contribute to scientific resources at IFST, I knew it was exactly what I needed to build a skill that would not only strengthen my PhD research but also support my career goal of becoming a science communicator.
My current PhD research explores how we can extract sustainable proteins from underused sources like sea mussels. It is technical, demanding, and heavily reliant on laboratory work. But this internship allowed me to step outside the bench and think critically about how we present science, who we present it to, and why clarity matters as much as accuracy.
At IFST, I had the opportunity to work closely with leading food industry experts, and an exceptional internal team whose dedication to communicating science to the public inspired me daily. I was privileged to work in a collaborative environment that sharpened my ability to give and receive constructive feedback, strengthened my communication and coordination skills, and taught me how to balance scientific accuracy with public clarity. I became more confident in navigating the editorial process, adapting my writing for different audiences, and contributing meaningfully to team-driven outputs.
During my time there, I worked with the team across several knowledge building projects that fed directly into public facing resources. This included updating Information Statements on nanotechnology, avian influenza, organic food, and fresh produce safety. I also played a part in developing Technical Briefs on food risk vs. food hazard, new technologies and food safety considerations, peanut in garlic risk, detection, and management, and developing risks of animal diseases impacting the food sector. I supported updates to the Love Food Love Science (LFLS) website, helped map IFST’s e-learning resources, contributed to the organization’s internal style guide, and helped design a streamlined process for developing new materials using Google Notebook LM©.
One thing that stood out during my internship was working with Natasha Medhurst, IFST’s Senior Scientific Affairs Manager. From her, I learned how to be meticulous and precise in approaching scientific content. I learned how to conduct content quality control and verify evidence thoroughly, maintain consistency in tone and language, and organize information clearly for different audiences. That experience gave me a deeper respect for the often-invisible work behind trusted scientific content.
My experience in this role developed my skill on how to produce reliable scientific non-academic content and reshaped how I think about the role of food scientists’ communication in society. My time at IFST gave me the platform to act on my conviction that science grows and serves the public good when it is made visible, usable, and trustworthy. It allowed me to contribute meaningfully to that vision and strengthened my resolve to continue building capacity for food science communication.