Paula Croxson

Background

About Paula Croxson

I am a neuroscientist turned science communicator, public engagement expert and storyteller. I am President at Stellate Communications where I work with scientists and science-based nonprofits and philanthropies to shape an implement their science communication strategy. I am a Senior Producer for The Story Collider where I produce and host live shows, and lead workshops designed to equip scientists with science communication and storytelling skills. I am passionate about multidirectional engagement between science and publics. I also work freelance as a public engagement specialist and science communicator. In my previous role as the Director of the Dana Frontiers Program at the Dana Foundation, I directed a new program designed to increase engagement with neuroscience among diverse publics to deepen trust and inform policy. In my previous role as Director of Public Programs at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute, I led the public engagement strategy and developed and managed a suite of programs designed to engage the public with STEM, from preK-12 students to teachers and older adults. I was responsible for managing the budget, obtaining government and philanthropic funding, and developing new partnerships. Prior to my professional work in public engagement and philanthropy, I ran a neuroscience lab as tenure-track faculty for five years. My expertise is in the brain regions and chemicals that are responsible for memory, particularly the complex, autobiographical memories that are lost in dementia like Alzheimer’s disease, and acetylcholine, a neurochemical that is important for memory and neuroplasticity. I managed a team of researchers ranging from from high school students to postdoctoral researchers, set the direction and strategy for the lab, obtained grant funding, managed the budget, and managed national and international collaborations. I hold an M.A. from the University of Cambridge, and and M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Oxford. During my postdoctoral work I was a Charles H. Revson Senior Fellow in the Life Sciences, first at the University of Oxford and later at Mount Sinai. My work focused on the cognitive and behavioural neuroscience of decision making and memory.