The Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis welcomes Kerry Grens in the newly created role of media marketing administrator. Kerry will manage content for the department’s freshly renovated website, as well as its social media channels and other platforms.
Kerry is an award-winning journalist who comes to Washington University after 17 years as a reporter and editor for print, online, radio and tv news outlets. Most recently, she was a senior editor at The Scientist magazine and managed the news department of the-scientist.com, which in 2020 earned the Azbee Website of the Year award from the Association of Business Publication Editors. Previously she was a reporter for Reuters Health, the senior health and science reporter for the Philadelphia NPR and PBS affiliate WHYY and a health and science reporter at the NPR affiliate New Hampshire Public Radio.
Her move to the department is a return to her roots as a neuroscientist, having earned a master’s in biological sciences from Stanford University.
“Kerry’s previous training in neuroscience at Stanford University brings specialized expertise for science communication for our department,” says Linda Richards, the head of the department and the Edison Professor of Neurobiology. “Her reporting of science across print, social media, television and radio brings a wealth of experience that will be so important for showcasing our mission for teaching and research excellence in the department.”
Earlier this year, the Department of Neuroscience unveiled a redesigned website to best promote its world-class research, extensive resources and outstanding community of students and faculty. The collaborative initiative to develop the new website included representatives from all department groups, including trainees, research staff, postdoctoral fellows and members of the business development office.
“Our major emphasis has been to create a site that effectively represents the people, the mission and the history of the department. A major goal is to provide useful information for people who are considering a future position working or training in the department,” says Paul Taghert, professor of neuroscience, who leads the website development committee.
Stay tuned for more developments to the website this year, and follow the department’s work on Twitter @WUSTLneurosci.