One framework. Three words. Better grants, talks, and papers.
Do you struggle to clearly communicate your research to broader audiences, reviewers, or collaborators? Join us for a university-wide training session with Randy Olson, PhD as he guides us through the ABT (And, But, Therefore) Framework — a simple, powerful tool used by scientists, communicators, and policymakers worldwide to make complex ideas clear and compelling.
In this interactive training, you will learn how to apply the ABT Framework to strengthen your grant proposals, manuscript abstracts, presentations, and everyday scientific communication. The event opens with a keynote lunch and continues into hands-on workshops where you’ll build your own ABT with live coaching from Randy and his team. Whether you are a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, faculty member, or staff researcher, this training gives you a practical, immediately applicable tool to sharpen how you tell the story of your science.
The keynote and the hands-on workshops are offered both in person at the EPNEC Auditorium and Seminar Rooms and live via Zoom. Lunch is served at the keynote and at the Wednesday workshop. Registration is required for all sessions.
About Dr. Olson
Randy Olson trained as a marine biologist, earning his PhD from Harvard University and serving on the faculty at the University of New Hampshire before leaving academia to pursue filmmaking at the University of Southern California. He is the creator of the ABT Framework, a narrative structure derived from storytelling principles used in Hollywood that has become a widely adopted tool in the scientific community for clear, audience-centered communication. Olson is the author of several acclaimed books on science communication, including Houston, We Have a Narrative and The Narrative Gym, and has worked with NASA, the National Academies of Sciences, and research institutions worldwide to help scientists communicate with greater clarity, impact, and confidence.
Workshop Series
- KEYNOTE: Training Today’s Health Care Professionals for Communication with the ABT (And, But, Therefore) Narrative Framework
- Sep. 22, 2026, noon – 2 p.m.
- EPNEC Auditorium, EPNEC; Zoom option available
- Lunch will be served from 11:30am-12pm, and the keynote lecture will begin at 12pm.
- Build Your ABT: A Hands-On Workshop
These sessions teach the same ABT method; Select the time that works best for your schedule.- Sep. 22, 2026, 2 – 4 p.m. OR Sep. 23, 2026, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Seminar Rooms A/B, EPNEC; Zoom option available
- Lunch will be served during the 9/23 workshop.
Registration is required; please register for each session you will be attending on the individual event pages. For questions, contact Adisa Kalkan at adisakalkan@wustl.edu
Hosted by Jay Piccirillo, MD, FACS, the TL1 Program, and the R25 Program, in partnership with the Center for Health & Science Communication at Becker Library.