Dmitry Kopelyanskiy is a PhD candidate in immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. He is also a passionate science communicator who believes that science belongs to everyone and should never be boring or overly complicated.

In his week at @SfPRocur, he will share his experiences in popularizing science via outreach events, science festivals, and online. “Science can be very interesting, inspiring and even fun. Dare to try it yourself!”  

About

Understanding the pressures of academic life early on, Dmitry published his first paper in an origami journal when he was 11 years old (he had invented a dragon).

Some time later, he obtained an MD degree in Russia, gained some research experience in Israel, and completed his Master’s degree in Germany. He then moved to Switzerland to work on his PhD.

Because of this international experience, Dmitry realized that science holds a great power to unite people with different backgrounds and beliefs.

His interests in science and public speaking led Dmitry to take part in the FameLab science communication competition. He won the Swiss national final, and went on to qualify for the international final as well. Additionally, he won Science Slam Basel in 2018 and Science Slam Zurich in 2019.

Apart from speaking in competitions, Dmitry moderates and speaks as a panelist at various science communication and public outreach events. He also organizes workshops and science festivals. “By telling scientific stories and making complex concepts fun, entertaining and easy to understand, we drive research forward, bring it to the public and inspire future generations of scientists”.