Monday, April 13, 2020

April 18 - Wine and Roses: Safe or Carcinogenic? Evaluating News Media Coverage of Health Risks

Presented by Anastasia Bodnar, Ph.D.

Saturday, April 18, 2020
1:30 pm

We're unable to have an onsite talk this month, but our speaker will present her talk online!
Live streaming at https://youtu.be/vZQWIekh0-Y
Post your questions in the YouTube chat during her talk, and they will be relayed to her.


We've all heard reports that red wine is protective against cancer while other studies find it to be carcinogenic. Similarly, some say herbicides such as glyphosate are safe to use (but not on your rose bush!) while others say it’s carcinogenic . Which is true? There are many opportunities for scientific information to become biased on the pathway from scientists to the public.  In this talk, Dr. Bodnar will describe how to effectively talk about risk and how to identify reliable sources.

Originally from Florida, Anastasia has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Maryland and a Doctorate in Genetics, with a minor in Sustainable Agriculture, from Iowa State University. Anastasia is the Policy Director of Biology Fortified, Inc, a non-profit organization that fosters conversation about issues in food and agriculture. She is also a founding member of SciMoms, and starred in the Science Moms documentary. She started her career in the US Army, working in public health and integrated pest management. As a Presidential Management Fellow, she worked at the National Institutes of Health, where she conducted special projects in science policy, science communication, and legislative affairs. She then worked in risk assessment and risk management at the US Department of Agriculture and served as a Senior Science Advisor at the Foreign Agricultural Service. Anastasia now works in risk assessment in the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy. While away from work, Anastasia enjoys spending time with her family, learning and writing about agriculture, reading science fiction, and exploring the DC area.