Outreach & Science Communication

Science is most powerful when it reaches beyond the laboratory. Throughout my career, I have sought to communicate scientific ideas to broad and diverse audiences through film, public events, and direct mentorship and to create pathways for underrepresented scientists in STEM. I believe that who has the opportunity to do science shapes the questions we ask, the discoveries we make, and the impact our work can have. Building a more inclusive scientific community is therefore not separate from scientific excellence, it is essential to it.

Ommatidia , Science Film (2024)

Co-director, co-writer, and scientific researcher

Ommatidia is a hybrid documentary created with filmmaker Jaime Sunwoo, exploring the perspective of the neuroscientist and the fruit fly as they meet eye to eye — an experimental tutorial on genetically manipulating the retina of fruit flies to alter signals from the eye to the brain. The film was selected for the 2024 Symbiosis Initiative presented at the Science New Wave Festival XVII, supported by Imagine Science Films and the Simons Foundation, and produced by Free Rein Projects with an original score by Gideon Broshy.

Watch on Labocine →

Soapbox Science NYC , Co-organizer (2024,2025)

Soapbox Science is an international public outreach platform promoting women and non-binary scientists in STEM. I co-organized the first New York City chapter, bringing scientists onto literal soapboxes in public spaces to share their research with passersby — dismantling barriers between scientists and the public and increasing visibility for underrepresented researchers.

Learn more about Soapbox Science →

Science New Wave Luminary
Labocine / Science New Wave

Selected as a Science New Wave Luminary — a designation for artists, filmmakers, journalists, and researchers who inspire through interdisciplinary approaches to scientific storytelling. As a Luminary, I serve as a voting member of the annual Science New Wave Festival, evaluating science films and contributing to the growth of science cinema on Labocine.

View Luminary profile →

NYAS Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program — Volunteer Mentor
New York Academy of Sciences

Volunteered as a scientist mentor in the New York Academy of Sciences Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program, leading interactive science projects with K–8th grade students in New York City to spark curiosity and passion for STEM. This program specifically targets students from underserved communities with limited access to science education resources.

Learn more →

A cluttered collection of various household items including containers, boxes, and cups. The image is partially obscured and distorted.

Stills from Ommatidia (2024), dir. Sromana Mukherjee & Jaime Sunwoo.

Three women standing together outdoors in a park, smiling at the camera, wearing purple 'Soapbox Science' t-shirts, with trees and people in the background.
A woman and two young girls with masks engaged in a STEM activity at a classroom table. The woman is smiling and leaning over, while the girls are focused on their projects with wires and electronic components in front of them. Classroom supplies and a world map are visible in the background.
Laboratory vials with white cotton stoppers, labeled with handwritten notes, placed in a cardboard organizer.
A woman in a white lab coat holding a puppet shows a group of people gathered around her outdoors in a park under green leafy trees.

Soapbox Science New York organizing team.

Soapbox Science New York, 2024

A group of children and a woman in a classroom, all wearing face masks and making peace signs.

Working with K–8 students at the NYAS Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program, New York City.