Fintan Burke Email & Phone Number

Hamburg, Germany

Covering science policy, ethics, medicine, and physics. Bylines in ScienceBusiness, The Irish Times, Ars Technica, Horizon Magazine, SciDev.net. You can find my previous work at fintanburke.com

Germany

Hamburg Area, Germany

I developed and coordinated communications for the CERES and PANDORA project, which investigated how climate change will affect different fish/shellfish species in European seas & aquaculture.- Developing strategies to make sure research reaches the public, industry, and policymakers- Writing, editing, and designing material such as news items, brochures, and web pages- Overseeing communications in media outlets- Developing a clear online identity on social media and the project website- Developing and supporting events and activities

European Commission (Intra Muros), Brussels

I worked as a web editor at the European Commission to help relaunch the website for its trade department. This inolved writing/editing information on the trade department websites so that they are understandable for everyone while also being detailed enough for experts. This involved bringing fresh ideas to boost visual communication and organisation when there was a big event. It also meant sitting down with colleagues in the trade department to figure out the best possible way to share their work with the wider world. Some examples include designing infographics to explain EU policy, using social media to speak directly to key audiences and organising website according to audiences’ intuition.

Brussels Area, Belgium

My main role was to source, research and write science articles for Horizon Magazine - the science and innovation magazine from the European Union. Alongside this a I played an active role in proofreading, encoding and publishing articles on the magazine website using the Drupal content management system.I also assisted in disseminating magazine content through social media, conducting analytical reports on factors affecting magazine readership using Google Analytics, and developing new business opportunities by researching project tenders.

I wrote music reviews and articles in a freelance role. Alongside indulging in my hobby of discovering new music, I found reviewing albums to help my critical thinking by having to apply judgement to works which are intrinsically subjective in quality - everyone has different tastes, so there is a need for a robust argument when I discuss a 'good'​ or 'bad' album in my reviews.Alongside these reviews, I have written other long-form articles on the site discussing various aspects of the music industry, which again is a mixture of a personal interest and a desire to further my professional skills.

Glasnevin

After my undergrad in biotechnology, I was able to unite my science education with my passion for writing by pursuing a Masters degree in Science Communication at DCU - a course whose reputation continues to draw international talent. During my time there I was continually surprised by the nuance and depth of analysis offered by the course. Alongside covering journalism and science media, other topics such as media audiences, philosophy, and communication theory provided a comprehensive understanding of what it is to cover science in the world today.Alongside attaining an internship at the Irish Times (see below) I also conducted an examination into the concept of 'Science Diplomacy'​ as my thesis subject - which has convinced me more than ever that society's investment in science is only growing.

Tara Street, Dublin 2

As part of my Masters degree at DCU, I was fortunate enough to secure an internship writing for the Science section of The Irish Times, Ireland's newspaper of record. Alongside writing news reports, I was also given the opportunity to write in-depth feature articles for print and online under the guidance of the Science Editor, Dick Ahlstrom. While my work was primarily for the science pages, I was also able to pursue writing assignments for other sections of the newspaper including business and opinion features. I was also impressed by the degree of freedom I was given to develop my own ideas and collaborate with other journalists; whether it be sourcing my own news articles, covering the 'TED' style Inspirefest conference, or arranging interviews. Although my placement there was brief, I thoroughly enjoyed every day of it. The work ethic and culture with which I found myself surrounded daily means this is an environment in which I definitely see myself pursuing in the future.

I have written about the emerging topics that affect the biotechnology market in an international scale. These articles ranged from examining science legislation in the developing world, monitoring developments in US gene patent law, and science communication efforts in the UK. Each of these articles required me to quickly get a substantial understanding of the subject at hand, as well as ensure the legal accuracy of what was being written for the website’s audience of business professionals and industry commentators. Samples of my work can be found here:http://www.biotechblog.com/2012/02/08/guest-post-biotechnology-patent-trolls/http://www.biotechblog.com/2012/03/19/navigating-the-patentability-of-stem-cells/http://www.biotechblog.com/2012/05/07/the-scale-of-africas-biosafety-double-standard/

Biocroi Ltd, Trinity Complex, St. James' Hospital, Dublin 8

I worked for a newly established international life sciences firm based in Dublin. My main responsibility was communicating our laboratory products to both researchers and business professionals interested in international distribution. This involved establishing a social media presence (via YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter), developing direct marketing strategies, and working directly with artists to create personalised advertisements. As the company was new to the international sales environment it was crucial that I made sure that the demands of our clients were met and that they came to expect a high quality of service from the company.

Co Meath

News and Views is the local paper for the Dunshaughlin area in Co Meath. While writing for the (then new) paper I had the opportunity to interview local figures as well as feature writing about local events and landmarks. This gave me one of my early experiences in writing for a general-audience publication.

Bsc In Biotechnology, Microbiology

Modules included: Food Biotechnology; Animal Cell Biotechnology; Industrial Bioprocessing; Proteomics; Commercial Biotechnology among others

Leaving Certificate

Elected member of the student council for three years.

Scholarship, Science Journalism

I earned a scholarship to the International School of Science Journalism and Communication at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre.