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Clinical and Translational Science Center

Community Engagement Science Café Speaker Series | UC Davis CTSC

Science Café Speaker Series

The Clinical and Translational Science Center Community Engagement Program developed the Science Café speaker series to provide a casual, safe space for lay audiences to have conversations with scientists. The Science Café is aimed at engaging the public in a discussion about research, current events, and other aspects of science that have current public interest.

What is Science Cafe?

Science Cafés are live—and lively—events that take place in casual settings such as pubs and coffeehouses, are open to everyone, and feature an engaging conversation with a scientist about a particular topic.

  • Encourages conversation, debate, interaction, and dialogue between scientists and the public.
    Successful Science Cafés create a comfortable atmosphere where everyone joins in. They are not long lectures with a passive audience listening to an expert.
  • Reaches out to all audiences.
    Science Cafés welcome people who may or may not typically get involved with scientific discussions. They are not exclusive club meetings for scientists and science majors.

— ScienceCafés.org

Science Café Archives

  • January 11: “Youth Mental Wellness"
    Sacramento Youth Mental Health (SacYMH)
    Video (1:15:28)
  • March 14: "Soluna"
    Video (1:22:18)

  • January 16: “YES WE CAN! Early Detection of Lung Cancer"
  • March 19: "Genetic Testing for Neurodevelopmental Disabilities" The Case of Fragile X Syndrome"
  • April 30: "COVID-19 In our Sacramento Communities: Prospects, Resources, Preparations (Eventbrite)
  • June 18: "COVID-19 and the Emerging Mental Health Crisis"
    Toby Ewing, Ph.D., Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D., Jim Kooler, Dr.P.H.
    Video (1:12:18)
  • October 15: "Asthma and the Environment: Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution"
    Nicholas Kenyon, M.D., M.A.S.
    Video (1:12:56)
  • November 19: "Quaran-TEEN: Youth Mental Health During COVID-19"
    Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D. and Sacramento Youth Mental Health (SYMH)
    Video (1:30:06)

  • January 24: “Breast CT — A Newer Technique for Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis" (Eventbrite)
  • March 28: “Patient Stories — End of Life to Transplant to Community Empowerment (Eventbrite)
  • May 23: “Precision Medicine – ALL of US" (Eventbrite)
  • July 25: "Opioid Use and Recovery" (Eventbrite)
  • September 26: "Perspectives on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)"
  • December 12: "Conversations with Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola and Elizabeth Vasile from UC Davis Health" (Eventbrite)

  • January 25: “Recovery After a Heart Attack” with Dr. Javier Lopez (Facebook Event)
  • March 22: “Women’s Health Disparities” (Eventbrite)
  • May 24: “Impact of Climate Change in the Sacramento Area” (Eventbrite)
  • July 26: “Restoring Baby Belly Microbiome” (Eventbrite)
  • September 27: "The Science and Practice of Mindfulness and Compassion Meditation"
  • November 29: "Autism Spectrum – Accessing Quality Care and Services" (Eventbrite)