This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Every week I post a quick Q&A with one of our bloggers on the network, so you can get to know them better. This week, I chat with Gozde Zorlu of the Creatology blog.
Hello! Let's start with first things first. What is the name of your blog and why did you choose that name - what does it mean?
I'm part of the "Creatology" group blog with Christine Ottery and Joe Milton – two good friends and former classmates. We met while studying for a master's degree in science journalism at City University, which we completed last year. Our blog is part of Scientific American's initiative to give young people in science journalism greater visibility.
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We chose "Creatology" because it sums up our focus on exploring science through creative formats in art and journalism. We want to make use of the many new and exciting ways of story telling that the internet has opened up over the years - audio and video clips, online galleries, data visulations and more.
We also want to explore science in its much broader context in society and its interaction with other disciplines, such as the arts, literature, philosophy, history and ethics. Hopefully, you'll come across a real mix and variety!
Where does the artwork for your banner come from, and what are you trying to convey with it?
Our banner is made up of different pictures depicting creativity. The talented Joe Milton produced our colourful banner.
Tell us more about yourself - where are you from, how did you get into science?
I'm a journalist specialising in science, medicine and global health. In case you were wondering, my name means “favourite one” in Turkish. I was born and raised just outside of London in the UK, where I’m currently based.
I've always held a strong passion for science. At school, I decided to pursue a career as a scientist. But toward the end of my studies, I felt I couldn't abandon my love of writing for the laboratory. So I decided to combine the two by studying the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science at University College London. During my degree, I edited the science section of a student newspaper and there was no looking back after that - I went on to train as a science journalist at City University.
How did you get into science blogging and science writing? What were the early influences on you regarding your blogging style and topics?
I started blogging about science and the media during my master's degree. My recent work has focused on science and international development, especially global health. Defining inspirations include my time spent working with Sarah Boseley at the Guardian followed by an internship at the Bulletin of the World Health Organization earlier this year.
What is your blog about? Who is your target audience, and why do you think people should read your blog?
Our blog is aimed at anyone with an interest in science and the different ways to tell stories. My contribution will mainly be on global health but there will be other subject areas that I will dip into.
My main aim is to keep our readers up to date with what's happening in the world of international health through exciting and informative ways of journalism. I'm also hoping to bring greater attention to the unheard voices of global health - scientists, doctors, nurses, aid workers and patients from the developing world.
Anything else interesting about you, perhaps cool hobbies?
My time in Geneva has had a big influence on me. I loved being part of an international city with such a big focus on global affairs. My dream is to travel the world and report on international development so I'm focusing on developing skills that will help me to report while on the go, such as photography. I'm also working on improving my language skills - these include French and Turkish and hopefully I'll have some time to pick up Portuguese next year.
In my spare time, I'm keeping busy with training for a marathon and I'm also getting back into mountain sports - I'm off to the Alps for Christmas.
Thank you!
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Previously in this series:
Michelle Clement Janet Stemwedel Charles Q. Choi SciCurious Jennifer Ouellette Kate Clancy Christina Agapakis Melissa Lott Jennifer Frazer James Byrne John Platt Jason Goldman S.E.Gould