I’ve spent more than 15 years as a stage actor and improvisor alongside my scientific career, and it’s made me a better scientist. The skills that make improv work — reading a room, building to a point, staying present with your audience — are the same skills that make science communication land. I offer workshops and talks that draw on both, for scientists at every career stage and for organisations that want to communicate more effectively about complex topics.

I also speak and consult on diversity and inclusion in science, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ representation and belonging in STEM.

What I Do

Science Communication Workshops Most scientists are trained to present information, not to tell stories. My workshops use principles drawn from improvisational theatre to help researchers develop clarity, confidence, and presence when communicating their work — to any audience. Sessions are practical and participatory, not lecture-based. Core themes include:

  • Building confidence — moving from anxiety management to genuine engagement, using techniques from stage performance that translate directly to seminar rooms, public talks, and media interviews
  • Constructing a narrative — identifying the story inside your data: what changed, why it matters, what comes next
  • Knowing your endpoint — starting from your conclusion and working backwards, so your audience always knows where they’re going
  • Reading and adapting to your audience — the same finding needs to be communicated differently to a policy audience, a school group, a journalist, and a funder; workshops cover how to shift register without losing rigour

Sessions run from 90 minutes to a full day and can be tailored to specific contexts — grant presentations, public engagement events, media training, or general scientific communication skills. I work with undergraduate cohorts, graduate research groups, departmental teams, and early-career researchers, as well as groups outside academia.

LGBTQ+ Inclusion in STEM I deliver a seminar — Hidden Diversity in Science: Queer in STEM — covering the challenges LGBTQ+ people face in scientific careers, the current landscape across disciplines, and practical steps departments and institutions can take to build more genuinely inclusive environments. The session runs 60 minutes and is designed to be candid, evidence-informed, and actionable rather than ceremonial.

I am available for academic departments, research institutes, and corporate organisations, and have delivered talks to a wide range of groups across the STEM fields — including during Pride Month and LGBTQ+ History Month.

Who I Work With

I work with university departments, research institutes, learned societies, and corporate organisations. Workshops can be designed for a single group or as part of a broader training programme. I’m based in the south of England, but available to travel, and I deliver sessions online as well as in person.

Get in Touch

For speaking and workshop enquiries, please get in touch with a brief description of your group, what you’re hoping to achieve, and your approximate date or window.

Email: alex@alexanderbond.org

For scientific consultancy, visit alexanderbond.org/scientific-consultancy For writing and editorial consultancy, visit alexanderbond.org/writing-consultancy