How to Engage Young People: Tools to Connect Your Research with Their Interests

Throughout our academic careers, there is an expectation to communicate research with peers through papers, posters, and talks. While these traditional methods are effective for sharing complex methods and findings, they are often inaccessible to the wider public.

This workshop will explore alternative approaches to communication, with a particular focus on teenagers and young adults — audiences often considered the most challenging to engage. We will discuss how to make engagement interactive, fun, relevant, and thought-provoking (without being childish), drawing on example workshops and activities centred on pandemics.

About the Speaker:

Dr Sean Elias is the Public Engagement with Research Lead at the University of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute, where he connects cutting-edge science with the public through school and museum outreach, educational resources, and media collaboration. He holds a DPhil in Clinical Medicine from Oxford’s Jenner Institute, where he studied B-cell and antibody responses to malaria vaccines, and has since conducted postdoctoral research on malaria, Ebola, and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella. His research has focused on understanding immune responses and developing vaccine strategies, ranging from isolating human monoclonal antibodies to leading innovative studies measuring oral-fluid antibodies — all with the aim of advancing disease prevention and improving public health impact.