2025 Communications Masterclass
Communicating Technical Concepts to Non-technical People
INSPIRE has designed an interactive masterclass specifically for researchers seeking to strengthen their communication with youth audiences in diverse cultural contexts. Through a practical exploration of verbal, written, visual, digital, and interpersonal communication strategies, participants will learn to translate complex research into clear, engaging, and youth-friendly messages. Led by INSPIRE Communications Director April Houston, the class will include guest lectures, assignments and activities to build your skills, and feedback from our instructors.
Day One | Less is More: Crafting and delivering compelling messages
Monday, 28 July 2025 | 4:00-5:30 pm WAT
Materials
Resource Links
- AAAS Communication Toolkit
- Health Literacy Editor
- De Jargonizer
- Clinical Research Glossary (Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center)
- Everyday Words for Public Health (CDC)
- Glossary of HIV/AIDS-Related Terms (NIH’s Office of AIDS Research)
- Plain Language Word List (Health Research for Action)
- Readability Toolkit Thesaurus (PRISM)
- Better Posters Blog
Speakers
Mychal Voorhees, MA
Senior Health Communication Specialist
Head, Center for Health and Science Communication
WashU
Monica Sala-Rabanal, PhD
Science Communication Specialist
WashU
Recording
Day Two | Rubber, Meet Road: Planning a communications campaign
Wednesday, 30 July 2025 | 4:00-5:30 pm WAT
Resource Links
- Translational Science Benefits Model
- Are We There Yet? A Communications Evaluation Guide (The Communications Network, 2008)
- Create a Communications Plan for Disseminating Research Findings (Research Retold, 2024)
- Communicating Now: Framing for Health Equity (Frameworks Institute, 2025)
- Developing a Communications Plan for Your Research (University of Reading, 2020)
- Developing a Plan for Communication (Community Tool Box, Kansas City University)
- New Communications Planning Guide for Local Health Departments (NACCHO, 2024)
- Public Health Communications Collaborative Academy (Free online course)
- The Case for Communications (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
- The Guide to Communicating Research: For Researchers and Research Communicators (Mihaela Gruia, 2024)
- Using Social Media to Communicate Your Research (University of Oxford)
Speakers
April Houston, MSW, MPH
Knowledge Translation & Communications Director, WashU
Communications Director, INSPIRE
Recording
Day Three | Connecting with Kids these Days: Youth perspectives on health/science communication
Friday, 1 August 2025 | 4:00-5:30 pm WAT
Materials
Resource Links
Speakers
Juliet Nwobodo
Communications Officer, Bridge Connect Africa Initiative
Abbas Adamu
Programs Officer
Sani Muhammad
Executive Director
Beene Chitempa
ZAIMARA Youth Advisory Board
INSPIRE Youth Advisory Board