ISSUE 1

EDITOR’S NOTE
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Societal fatigue, the virulent spread of misinformation, and the politicization of disease are palpable as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the globe. Scientists and medical experts have communicated public health practices— social distancing, mask-wearing, testing, and tracing— that, if adopted, can save lives. But more is needed to combat the explosive spread of the virus.

The trajectory of this pandemic depends largely on our ability to build rapport in science and focus on shared goals for common health. Deconstructing the divide between the scientific community and the general public means increasing transparency, accepting culpability, and opening lines of communication. And yet, a gap persists. Science is conducted to benefit the greater community, but science is too often an impenetrable conversation. The public’s lack of access to research journals and the struggle of scientists to discuss their work with individuals who do not share their same training creates a divide between those with scientific expertise and the general public, or simply, everyone else. Scientists and medical experts need to better engage with the largest beneficiaries of their work. To begin, scientific prose is inaccessible. The balkanization of scientific sub-fields and their respective laundry lists of jargon other lay audiences. It’s time to rethink the rhetoric and design of scientific communication. It’s time to have conversations on level ground.

Our goal at Grey Matters Journal VC is to dismantle barriers of access in neuroscience. We hope that Issue 1 provides you with comprehensive and interactive opportunities to engage in science dialogue.

Cheers,