This project is funded by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin, a recipient of a National Clinical and Translational Science Award 8UL1TR000055 and by Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Research and Education Initiative Fund, a component of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Background Science Cafés have been used throughout the

world in more than 40 countries as a way for

people to meet and discuss the latest ideas of

science and technology. In the last two years,

the Community Engagement Key Function of

the CTSI of Southeast Wisconsin has hosted

16 cafés with over 300 total participants.

Our Science Café Goals:

• Strengthen science literacy

• Transfer knowledge between researchers

and public

• Demonstrate the important role science

plays in society

• Demonstrate the important role community

plays in science

• Create opportunities for academics to

engage with community outside of an

academic setting

• Inspire public to be more comfortable with

academics

• Inspire academics to be more comfortable

engaging with community

2011/12 My Genes/My Health

Location: Public settings including pizza parlor, and

two different Milwaukee community centers,

Milwaukee School of Engineering – Center for

Biomolecular Modeling

Some of the Topics:

• From Genomics to Proteomics - and Beyond:

new tools for medicine

• One in a Billion - a story of personalized

genomic medicine

• Your DNA Sequence: What does it all mean?

• Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine: From

here to there and back again

Purpose The purpose of the Science Café program is to

strengthen science literacy by engaging the

community and translational scientists in an

informal setting through bi-directional dialogue

around current scientific health topics.

2012 Health Myths/Health Facts Location: Milwaukee Public Market

Topics (chosen by community):

• Diabetes

• Child Immunizations

• Health Screenings

• Positive Psychology

Format The format of the Café involves an medical

professional or researcher engaging with public

in an informal, non-academic environment.

Typically, the speaker will give 10-20 minute

background on the evenings topic. This is

followed by 30-60 minutes of informal bi-

directional discussion around the specific topic.

Participants are encouraged to ask the speaker

anything they like. The casual atmosphere is

conducive for a relaxed and comfortable

audience and as a result, participants generally

ask questions and engage in public conversation.

The cafés are always held in a public setting and

are free of charge to anyone interested in

attending. Light refreshments are served.

Initial Outcomes Total Attendants: 554 evaluations completed, 334

unique registrants

Figure 1. Number of registrants who attended

more than one science café. There is a large

number of registrants who sign up for 1-4 cafes.

Demographics:

• 66.6% (369) Female

• 59.9% (332) 50 years old or older

• 71.8% (398) had at least a bachelors degree

Results Highlights:

• Participants in 2013 utilized more indepth

evaluation of Scientific/Health Literacy

• Initial results suggest an increase in

confidence levels related to

scientific/health literacy after Science

Café

• 22% (91) Respondents said they were more

likely to participate in research as a result of

Science Cafés* *From 2011 and 2012 series data

Science Cafés: A Bi-Directional Tool for Increasing Science

Literacy in the Community

Syed Ahmed, MD, DrPH; Cheryl Maurana, PhD; Zeno Franco, PhD; David Nelson PhD, MS; Anne Kissack, MPH, RD; Shari Hagedorn, Mia DeFino, MS

2013 Science and a Healthier

You Location: Milwaukee Public Library

Topics:

• Infomercials, ads, breaking news stories on

“good vs bad” food…what really is the

“skinny” on weight management and lifestyle

change through exercise?

• “Wait, what did you say?” Learning about

Alzheimer’s and Dementias

• Biomedical Innovations: What’s next?

• Breast Cancer Screening and Preventive

Health

Conclusions While current evaluations show acknowledgement of increased interest in research,

further evaluation methods are currently being developed to measure the effect on

scientific literacy, first reports suggest attending Science Cafes improve scientific literacy.

We also found that Science Cafés create an excellent opportunity for translational

researchers to engage the public in an informal setting. Speakers have commented on

how informative the experience has been in regards to how the community thinks and that

they have raised new research questions/ideas. Video recordings capturing how our

Science Cafés are done will be produced this year and shared through the CEKF website

for others to learn and build from.