About
Who We Are
At Helix, we work to bridge the gap between the research lab and public audiences by teaching scientists how to communicate effectively with the public and to share their stories. Helix is both an online magazine and a training program to support communication skill development for both early-career scientists as well as science journalists. Our content is primarily created by Northwestern Ph.D. students in STEM fields and journalism students affiliated with the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
Students interested in science writing can explore multiple options at Northwestern and Medill. The Medill Media and Science Communications program specifically partners with The Graduate School to allow STEM Ph.D students to earn a cluster or certificate in communications while pursuing their doctoral research. The Medill Masters in Journalism includes a specialization in health, environment and science reporting, and undergraduates have access to elective courses in science, health and environmental reporting.
Helix Magazine was developed by Science in Society, a Northwestern University research center dedicated to science outreach and public engagement. Find out about the center’s other science education and communication initiatives (like science writing courses and community outreach) here.
To keep abreast of Northwestern research more generally, see Northwestern Research News or follow Northwestern Research Communications on Twitter.
Contributors
Members of the scientific research community at Northwestern (including the social sciences) are welcome to become magazine contributors. Many of our contributors are graduate students; undergraduates, postdocs, research faculty and staff are welcome, too!
Interested in Writing for Helix?
Send your one-page story pitch idea to Helixeditors@gmail.com. In five paragraphs, explain the topic and current angle, why it’s relevant to Helix, your vision for the story (first person, reported news or feature story, Q&A, science explainer, etc.), ideal story length, your background and experience in either science or journalism. Editors will work with writers to develop any and all skills in writing about science.
Copyright
Unless otherwise stated, all HELIX content is owned by its author and used with permission by Helix. If you’d like to syndicate or link to HELIX work, feel free to get in touch with our editor (Helixeditors@gmail.com). Photos are credited and used with permission or under creative commons. If you see an error or would like to submit a correction, please email the editor.
The opinions expressed are those of their author and not necessarily those of Helix magazine, Science in Society, The Graduate School, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University or our affiliates and partners.
Helix is an independent website that promotes understanding science, exploring research, and expanding opportunities for science writing for scientists and journalists. Currently run by editors and writers from Northwestern University’s The Graduate School and Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Helix was originally founded by Science in Society, a Northwestern research center for science outreach and public engagement.
