Careers in Science Policy

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00:00:06.18 Hi, I'm Debra Cooper
00:00:08.26 I'm a consultant at the California State Senate Office of Research.
00:00:12.11 And I'm going to speak a little bit
00:00:14.07 about my transition into science policy
00:00:16.19 and what science policy actually means.
00:00:18.24 So as a neuroscientist,
00:00:21.22 I consider myself a "brain nerd."
00:00:23.15 And I actually believe I earned that title
00:00:25.18 in elementary, when I did a report on the brain.
00:00:28.25 And from that point on,
00:00:30.14 I was fascinated by anything and everything
00:00:33.08 related to the brain.
00:00:34.09 And the brain has been the one common thread
00:00:37.10 that has been with me through all of my career aspirations
00:00:40.08 and career shifts.
00:00:41.14 While I was in graduate school studying neuroscience,
00:00:45.02 as a brain nerd would do,
00:00:47.05 I went to a few K-12 outreach events
00:00:51.09 and talked to students about the brain,
00:00:54.00 about different aspects of the brain,
00:00:55.29 about the different parts and what they do.
00:00:57.28 Sometimes I would talk more specifically about
00:01:01.07 my field of research, which was drug addiction.
00:01:03.22 And talk about how drugs affect the brain itself.
00:01:08.23 I continued these outreach efforts
00:01:11.14 through my postdoc. And so here I am
00:01:14.19 with a student from a magnet junior high school
00:01:18.18 in Houston, Texas. And she's using
00:01:21.14 an impaired driving simulator
00:01:23.12 which is an interactive computer program
00:01:25.28 that mimics the effects of driving under the influence
00:01:29.08 of different substances and consequences
00:01:31.11 associated with them.
00:01:33.11 While I was with my postdoc lab,
00:01:35.22 we also went to a few community events
00:01:38.13 and so I was able to do brain outreach
00:01:41.23 and drug addiction outreach to just about anybody
00:01:44.12 and everybody.
00:01:45.16 And so while doing all these outreach efforts
00:01:48.21 I had two main takeaways.
00:01:51.04 The first was, that while I enjoyed science
00:01:55.02 and I've always loved science
00:01:56.13 I realized that I liked talking about science
00:01:59.27 and the research that's being done
00:02:01.17 a little more than I actually liked doing the research itself.
00:02:04.27 Which was surprising for me
00:02:06.29 because I consider myself a shy and quiet person
00:02:10.01 but when I'm talking about something that I'm passionate about
00:02:13.08 I can go on for days.
00:02:15.04 The second takeaway was that
00:02:18.21 while talking to these students and community members
00:02:22.04 I realized that there's a lot of misinformation about
00:02:25.12 drug abuse and about mental health in general.
00:02:28.16 And there's a lot of research that's being done
00:02:31.17 that dispels these myths and this misinformation,
00:02:34.13 and that produces new and valuable information.
00:02:38.00 But is not necessarily always accessible to the lay public.
00:02:41.22 And the data itself tell a story,
00:02:44.20 but if the data are not accessed, then it's a story untold.
00:02:48.09 And so whether that's not knowing where to go
00:02:51.26 to access the information or how to interpret the information
00:02:55.17 or even how that information is relevant
00:02:58.23 to that person and their family and friends.
00:03:01.06 It represents a gap in communication
00:03:04.17 that is problematic.
00:03:05.23 And this information is necessary
00:03:08.04 for people to be equipped to make informed decisions
00:03:11.15 about their health and their surroundings.
00:03:13.08 And so these gaps in communication
00:03:15.27 are issues that need to be addressed.
00:03:17.28 So from realizing that I loved talking about science
00:03:22.05 to various audiences, and that I want to be involved
00:03:25.21 in the functional application of scientific research,
00:03:31.03 I decided to make a career shift outside of academia.
00:03:34.18 I considered a few different options
00:03:37.14 but narrowed my focus down to either science communication
00:03:40.22 or science policy.
00:03:42.00 And I was fortunate enough to be involved in
00:03:45.16 academic programs that exposed their students and trainees
00:03:49.22 to career options outside of academia.
00:03:53.12 And so while going to these events,
00:03:57.29 I made a network of people who had non-academic careers.
00:04:01.09 And while talking to them,
00:04:02.27 I decided that I wanted to pursue science policy.
00:04:05.17 And before actually getting into science policy,
00:04:09.14 I had a very vague idea of what science policy really means.
00:04:13.16 And truth be told, now that I'm in it
00:04:16.07 I realize that that vague understanding
00:04:18.18 was due to the fact that science policy
00:04:20.24 can mean different things to different people
00:04:23.08 just depending on your role in it.
00:04:25.16 So, for instance, a scientist can work in a policy role
00:04:30.06 in the legislative branch of government.
00:04:32.13 So as a legislative staffer,
00:04:35.00 you could be drafting and analyzing bills
00:04:38.05 for an elected official.
00:04:39.24 And so in this regard, you are
00:04:42.13 finding relevant issue areas that need to be addressed,
00:04:46.09 researching the information for that,
00:04:48.23 drafting documentation that can be put in a bill form
00:04:52.18 that can be used to address those policy gaps,
00:04:55.09 and carrying that bill through, to make sure that
00:04:58.18 it is in the best shape to be passed into law
00:05:02.11 and to benefit the people it was meant to benefit.
00:05:04.22 So, as a legislative staffer,
00:05:07.24 you'd be working on both scientific and nonscientific
00:05:11.01 issues. However, as an added benefit as a scientist,
00:05:15.03 you'd be able to identify policy gaps that
00:05:18.16 are related to a scientific field.
00:05:20.24 And able to research the relevant information for that policy gap.
00:05:26.05 In addition, a scientist can be a lobbyist.
00:05:29.13 So a lot of people have preconceived notions
00:05:32.28 of what it means to be a lobbyist or what they do.
00:05:35.17 But lobbyists are integral components
00:05:38.12 to the legislative process.
00:05:39.24 They work on the legislature on behalf
00:05:42.15 of a company or an organization.
00:05:44.28 And they work with the legislative staffers to help
00:05:47.26 draft bills to benefit the people that they represent.
00:05:51.18 Oftentimes, the lobbyists focus on a particular issue area
00:05:57.03 and are therefore, subject matter experts in that area.
00:06:00.26 And some of these issue areas
00:06:02.23 or the companies they work for are scientific in nature.
00:06:06.28 So this presents another avenue that a trained scientist
00:06:10.19 can work in to influence policy.
00:06:12.24 In addition, a scientist can be an advocate.
00:06:17.00 And as an advocate, you'd be conveying relevant
00:06:20.10 information to the legislature.
00:06:22.26 As opposed to a lobbyist,
00:06:24.29 you're not necessarily pushing bill ideas forward.
00:06:28.01 But rather, just exchanging information
00:06:30.24 and increasing awareness for a particular issue area.
00:06:34.16 Additionally, you can talk to the people that you represent
00:06:39.13 and inform them about relevant policies
00:06:43.00 or policy changes that can affect their life and their well-being.
00:06:46.25 The word "advocacy" also means
00:06:51.10 that there are a variety of ways that a person can be an advocate.
00:06:55.00 They can be an advocate with a dedicated role
00:06:58.16 in a company or an organization,
00:07:00.22 but you can also be an advocate in academia
00:07:03.09 while you're at the bench or working as a faculty member.
00:07:06.12 Before I fully transitioned into science policy,
00:07:10.01 I was part of the Washington Fellows Advocacy Program,
00:07:14.17 through the professional society, ASPET,
00:07:17.06 or American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
00:07:20.25 This was a one year fellowship program
00:07:24.17 and I was involved in this program while I was still a postdoc.
00:07:27.25 At one point, I was taken to Washington DC
00:07:32.18 and was able to speak to congressional staffers
00:07:35.13 on Capitol Hill, and advocate on behalf
00:07:37.23 of scientific funding.
00:07:40.02 Additionally, scientists can work in the executive branch
00:07:44.01 of government.
00:07:45.05 And so these are different departments and agencies.
00:07:48.05 So, in California, for instance,
00:07:50.16 I work very closely with the Health and Human Services agency.
00:07:54.00 Which is just one of a number of agencies
00:07:57.01 in the executive branch.
00:07:58.06 So generally speaking,
00:08:00.09 people in departments or agencies
00:08:03.10 are creating regulations that are addressing bills
00:08:08.09 that have been passed into law.
00:08:09.25 So as a scientist in the executive branch,
00:08:13.10 you would be implementing policy
00:08:17.23 based on good and current science,
00:08:19.27 and good policy.
00:08:21.20 Now these are just a number of different
00:08:25.08 roles that scientist can do in science policy,
00:08:27.27 and this is by no means an exhaustive list.
00:08:30.15 I personally came into science policy
00:08:33.27 through a science policy fellowship
00:08:36.16 with a California council on science and technology.
00:08:39.19 This fellowship places ten PhD level scientists
00:08:43.22 in the California legislature each year.
00:08:45.25 And so this is me with the nine other fellows
00:08:49.04 in my fellowship class.
00:08:50.15 We're all placed as either personal staff in a legislator's office
00:08:56.01 and draft bill ideas for the particular elected official,
00:09:01.24 or placed in a senate committee
00:09:04.07 which is a committee that focuses on a particular issue area
00:09:08.25 and we analyze bills in that particular issue area.
00:09:11.21 I was placed in the California Senate Office of Research.
00:09:17.01 And this is the California State Capitol building.
00:09:21.02 A building which I'm happy to say,
00:09:23.13 I get to work in every day.
00:09:24.24 So in the Senate Office of Research,
00:09:27.21 where I work, we can be thought of as the support staff
00:09:30.22 of the state senators.
00:09:32.12 We have a number of different roles,
00:09:34.12 but one of our roles, is to provide
00:09:36.28 in depth research for the senators and their staffers,
00:09:42.12 which they can therefore use for drafting
00:09:44.17 and analyzing bills,
00:09:45.26 or for putting together informational hearings.
00:09:49.11 In addition, we also keep on top
00:09:52.18 of policy changes that are happening
00:09:54.26 on the federal level and relay that information
00:09:58.00 to the relevant people at the state level.
00:10:00.00 In that regard, we can be thought of as
00:10:03.04 a conduit of information.
00:10:05.11 And one of the most exciting parts of the job for me,
00:10:08.19 is that I'm always able to meet new and interesting people
00:10:13.20 and learn new and interesting facts.
00:10:15.25 So this is me with senator Richard Pan.
00:10:19.08 His district covers the area in California where I live and work.
00:10:23.26 And not only is he an elected official,
00:10:26.13 a state senator, but he's also a pediatrician.
00:10:29.13 So he's found his own way of merging
00:10:32.10 medical science and policy and politics.
00:10:35.07 I was also able to meet and speak with
00:10:38.24 Erin Brockovich.
00:10:40.02 Who is best known for her advocacy role
00:10:43.27 for a small town in Southern California,
00:10:47.24 in regards to contamination in their drinking water.
00:10:51.06 And her advocacy role that town
00:10:53.16 was later made into a movie
00:10:55.01 titled "Erin Brockovich."
00:10:56.28 The discussion that day at the Capitol
00:11:00.08 centered around water quality issues,
00:11:03.04 environmental health, and policy recommendations
00:11:06.26 to improve those.
00:11:07.25 So this was just another way of branching multiple
00:11:10.23 disciplines of science with policy.
00:11:13.20 And as I stated before, there are a number
00:11:17.00 of different ways that a person can be involved in science policy.
00:11:20.28 And to determine how you want to be involved
00:11:24.08 in science policy, the first thing to figure out
00:11:27.16 is what is your overall goal that you're aiming for?
00:11:30.22 Whether it's to have daily and direct influence
00:11:34.21 on policy and legislation,
00:11:36.19 or interpreting policy so that it is effective
00:11:40.15 in the most beneficial way to the general public.
00:11:43.07 Or just exchanging ideas between different audiences.
00:11:47.13 In any regard, whichever path is chosen,
00:11:51.19 the common thread is that it's an ongoing conversation
00:11:56.06 in policy, including science policy.
00:11:58.06 So in regards to science policy,
00:12:00.12 it's an ongoing conversation
00:12:02.06 between the scientist and the policymaker.
00:12:04.29 Or the scientist and the general public.
00:12:07.19 Or the scientist and any other audience.
00:12:10.07 And at the end of the day,
00:12:13.03 it's the scientist's role to equip their audience
00:12:16.20 with the information that's necessary
00:12:18.16 for them to make informed decisions
00:12:20.09 for themselves or the groups that they represent.
00:12:23.05 And this important information
00:12:25.22 comes in the form of data and the research that's being done.
00:12:29.15 And as I said before,
00:12:31.16 the data itself tell a story,
00:12:33.12 but it's my role as a scientist in policy
00:12:36.22 to become the storyteller.
00:12:38.13 Thank you.

This Talk

Speaker: Debra Cooper

Audience:

Student
Researcher

Recorded: August 2015

Talk Overview

Self-described “brain nerd” and neuroscientist Debra Cooper describes her transition to a career in science policy and gives an overview of the multifaceted roles scientists can do in this field. Scientists can lend their expertise as legislative staffers, lobbyists, or advocates, all of which require translating technical research data into relevant information for policymakers. By helping to bridge the misinformation gap in such fields as drug abuse and mental health, scientists like Cooper can be involved in the functional application of scientific research in society.

Speaker Bio

Debra Cooper

Debra Cooper is a Policy Consultant in the California State Senate Office of Research where she provides the State Senate with information on human services, mental health, and veterans affairs issues. Dr. Cooper was a 2015 Science & Technology Policy Fellow with the California Council on Science and Technology. Her graduate research at Emory University… Continue Reading