Who we are
HELIX is both an online magazine and a training program to support skills development for early-career scientists. Our content is primarily created by researchers, with the support of our professional editorial staff. At HELIX, we work to bridge the gap between the lab and lay audience by teaching scientists how to communicate effectively with the public and share their fascinating stories.
Content on HELIX is authored by Northwestern faculty, students and staff across a range of disciplines from nanotechnology to epigenetics to psychology. The articles and blog posts aim to shed light on the incredible research being conducted at Northwestern and throughout the world, and provide a platform for scientists and researchers to hone their writing and storytelling skills.
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 receive updates from the center and the magazine, sign up for our monthly newsletter.
To keep abreast of Northwestern research more generally, see Northwestern Research News or follow Northwestern Research Communications on Twitter.
We welcome any questions or comments you may have about the site. Please feel free to email the editor below.
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, but undergraduates, postdocs, and research faculty and staff are welcome, too!
All contributors receive one-on-one guidance in writing for the public over multiple drafts, culminating in publicly accessible (and widely publicized) articles and blog posts published online.
Writers can stay for one piece or for years, and after at least three published pieces may apply to become regular contributors with monthly assignments. Since starting in 2008, we've worked with hundreds of contributors (take a look!). We welcome any Northwestern scientists interesting in writing about their own work as well as those looking to write (and think!) about something other than life in the lab.
Interested in writing for HELIX?
We are currently at capacity and are not taking new writers. Northwestern affiliates interested in contributing to the magazine can register their interest here and be added to our waitlist. When we’re able, we will be in touch about next steps, usually an information session for new writers.
Editor
Roger Anderson is editor of HELIX and Publications Editor on the Northwestern Research Communications Team. He studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before working for five years at a mid-size newspaper in Racine, Wisconsin. In 2012, Roger came to Northwestern as a science writer at the Feinberg School of Medicine. roger-anderson@northwestern.edu
Copyright
Unless otherwise stated, all HELIX content is owned by its author and used with exclusive permission for a time-limited period. If you'd like to syndicate or link to HELIX work, feel free to get in touch with our editor (we don't charge, we just track permissions). 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, Northwestern University or our affiliates and partners.
