Maximizing the impact of science and health research and policy investments could significantly help improve societal well-being in the United States and globally, according to experts speaking at "The Future of Science in Healthcare" event hosted at Cure with the Aspen Institute’s Science & Society Program on Oct. 15, 2024.
The expert panel discussed how AI in healthcare might reduce biases or address inequities, as well as how to improve community engagement and trust in science. The event is among the activities that the Aspen Institute’s Science & Society Program convenes to “build a better scientific ecosystem, society and world,” noted Aaron Mertz, Executive Director of the Program.
Mertz spoke with Cure about the Aspen Institute, its mission and recent milestone activities to address pressing science-society challenges through collaboration, education, and global outreach. These initiatives include Science at the Ballot Box to focus on critical science policy issues ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections, a youth mentorship program Our Future Is Science (OFIS), and global science projects with 14 international partners to improve research systems worldwide.
Cure: What is the Aspen Institute?
Mertz: The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colo., and an international network of partners.
Cure: Why was the Aspen Institute created? What is its mission?
Mertz: As the Aspen Institute pursues its mission of promoting a free, just and equitable society, our founding vision continues to animate us. Seven decades ago, the Institute’s founders were inspired by the unique challenges of their day: the Holocaust, a World War, and the enormous geopolitical uncertainty of the Cold War. Even as the challenges have changed, the essential elements of the founders’ vision have remained sharply relevant.
Cure: The Aspen Institute has a multitude of programs. Tell us about the mission of the Science & Society Program.
Mertz: Science & Society catalyzes community leaders, current and future scientists, and the general public to build a better scientific ecosystem, society, and world. We leverage the established assets, networks, and platforms of the Aspen Institute to convene and mobilize these groups to build bridges between them. Fundamentally, Science & Society serves as a laboratory to test ideas and approaches that help explain, connect, and maximize the benefits of science for public good.
Cure: The Science & Society Program describes itself as "an early responder to emerging trends and is on the pulse of critical issues at the intersection of science and society." Can you share any recent milestones from these activities?
Mertz: Issues at the intersection of science and society are all around us, all of the time, but the election season certainly thrusts these debates into the public spotlight. In the lead up to Election Day 2024, we have been thrilled to partner with Nautilus science magazine to release “Science at the Ballot Box,” a series of nonpartisan articles exploring key questions about the future of science policy in the U.S.
Pieces in the collection cover a number of timely topics, including: the role of artificial intelligence in the federal government operations, civic science efforts at the state and local levels, guidance on developing forward-looking climate approaches, polling insights about what’s at stake for Americans this election, America’s place in today’s global science landscape, and reflections on how to (re)build public trust in science.
We are also proud to feature advice from America’s top scientists to the next President about how to prioritize science over the next four years. This project builds on the success of our 2020 digital magazine, The Future of Science in America: The Election Issue.
Cure: Does the Science & Society Program have any mentoring programs for students?
Mertz: Through our youth initiative, Our Future Is Science (OFIS), the Science & Society Program has also been at the forefront of creating innovative ways to inspire rising generations to consider careers in science and see how science can make their local communities healthier and stronger. OFIS matches societally minded high-schooler mentees and STEM-graduate-student mentors across the U.S. to embark on an academic-year-long journey of mentorship and exploring how science and social justice intersect. OFIS particularly prioritizes the participation of students who face inequities, are underserved, and/or are from historically marginalized groups often underrepresented in STEM education and careers.
In August, OFIS was selected as one of 20 global Winners in the annual Falling Walls Foundation competition to identify scientific breakthroughs of the year. This Winner designation comes with an opportunity to pitch the initiative in person at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Germany, next month, in November.
Cure: How does the Science & Society Program build community? How you work with partner organizations?
Mertz: Co-creation forms the basis of much of our work, by working with collaborators from other organizations and sectors to design and implement projects and initiatives to further science’s role in our society.
We often convene groups of cross-sector experts to explore critical, timely topics at the intersection of science and society. These roundtable discussions not only generate shareable findings, but build communities of practice between experts working across disciplines who may otherwise not find themselves in a common setting.
We’ve enacted these activities with corporate sponsors to explore questions of mutual interest using the Aspen Institute’s reputation as a nonprofit, nonpartisan convenor capable of bringing key players to the same table to take a deep dive into important issues.
Cure: You've had Science & Society Program events all over the world. How do the different geographies enhance your mission?
Mertz: Global Science forms one of the Science & Society Program’s four pillars (in addition to Science & Social Justice, Public Trust in Science, and Science Policy). Working across geographies in this way allows the Program to serve as a platform for practitioners and members of the public to learn from the challenges and strengths of science-society engagements in other countries.
Through the global nature of our nonprofit organization, we were able to enact the first-ever collaboration across the Aspen Institute’s 14 International Partners to explore the topic of how we can create better systems in specific countries to enable more effective pure or basic research.
Beyond these 14 countries, we also worked with our program’s international networks to produce a short-form documentary series, INFODEMIC: Global Conversations on Science and Disinformation, that was broadcast on PBS and satellite television, featuring experts from Japan, China, Philippines, India, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, and the United States. Even though this project stemmed out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global themes the series investigates—particularly disinformation, climate change, and natural disasters—continue to resonate today.
To increase access to these discussions, we have embarked on translating the English subtitles into a number of other languages and over the coming months are hosting a series of events examining public trust in science and science disinformation in different regions of the world.
Cure: What does the Science & Society Program have planned for 2025?
Mertz: 2025 is already gearing up to be an exciting year for the Science & Society Program. Most notably, we are slated to release Six Degrees From Science, which forms part of our larger body of work humanizing scientists. This feature-length documentary will immerse us in the lives of passionate scientists as they navigate environments where competition for resources is fierce, institutional barriers abound, and their focus is directed away from science to survival. The film prompts audiences to consider what it means for the future of medicine when so many different factors are pushing American scientists toward burnout and provides perspective on the groundbreaking discoveries that may be lost along the way.
Cure: How can someone join the Science & Society Program or get more information?
Mertz: At the Science & Society Program, we work from the perspective that science is for everyone. Whether you are a member of the scientific and medical communities, a science communicator, an interested member of the public—or anyone in between—we invite you to join us by signing up for our mailing list here. For partnership opportunities, please write to Science & Society Program Founder and Executive Director Aaron Mertz at Aaron.Mertz@aspeninstitute.org.
