CTSI Science Cafés offer conversations about real-world issues

A Science Café is a community conversation between researchers and the public centered on a critical real-world issue. This innovative method for disseminating research findings has been utilized by the UB’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Community Engagement Core since early 2025.

“The Science Cafés are a national model on how to disseminate research results into the community,” explains CTSI Community Engagement Core Director Laurene M. Tumiel-Berhalter, director of community translational research in the, Department of Family Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “It involves working together with a community partner to identify a topic and a speaker that aligns with their priorities.”

Tumiel-Berhalter says Science Cafés directly contribute to science literacy and offer a venue for people to ask questions about the topic and the science. “They also help with research dissemination. Cafés are a win-win experience.”

CTSI Science Cafés most often take place once a research team has study results as a means of dissemination rather than in a project’s formative stages.

Real-world issues that have been covered thus far include healthy aging, plain language, fetal alcohol syndrome disorders, environmental health and wellness, and library social work. While the topics change, the style stays the same — relaxed, open and engaging.

“The cafés should happen in a comfortable and familiar environment to community members,” Tumiel-Berhalter says. “We rely on the community partners to choose the right sites for them and for their audience.”

CTSI Community Engagement Coordinator Grace McKenzie says feedback from researchers has been uniformly positive.

“Researchers enjoy sharing their expertise with individuals and communities that have a need for the information,” she says. “The open conversation during the Science Café bridges researchers and participants to engage with each other in transformative ways that educate and inspire. It is bidirectional, and all perspectives are welcome.”

Community participants “learn, interact and leave with resources they did not have before,” McKenzie adds. “People feel heard by the researcher and have their questions about the topic answered in a way they can understand.”

D. Michael Applegarth, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, held a Science Café for a project that involves having students run a resource table at the downtown library to connect patrons to resources in the community.

“Our primary goal was to engage with the community and strengthen our relationship with our community partner, the library,” he says. “All team members felt like it was a valuable experience. We were able to make new connections with community providers, further establish relationships with library leadership, and meet library patrons. After the event, we had a better understanding of how our pilot project would be implemented, of the space we would be working in, and of the needs of the community.”

Amanda M. Ziegler, research assistant professor in the Primary Care Research Institute, Department of Family Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, led a session on nutrition and wellness for families with teens.

“We went into the meeting knowing that students were attending from a leadership group, and that they were looking to build a student-led wellness center,” Ziegler explains. “So, we were actually serving as a resource to help with their efforts. We learned more about their project and answered any questions they had.”

Both investigators agree that the experience was positive and insightful for both sides.

“It gave me an opportunity to share my research with community members, answer questions for people who had previously or were currently navigating challenges, and to meet community providers who engaged with the population we were aiming to support,” Applegarth says. “It also allowed us to build a stronger relationship with our community partners.”

“It was amazing to get in front of interested community members to be a resource and have a calm conversation about a science topic,” adds Ziegler. “It is good practice for scientists to get in front of communities and have to translate the science speak into everyday language. Science Cafés are also a way to see which topics resonate with real people and can help provide meaningful insights into how to create boots on the ground impact with your next research plan.”

If you are interested in participating in a CTSI Science Café as either a researcher or a participant, contact the CTSI Community Engagement Core at EngageUB@buffalo.edu or fill out a service request.