And just last month, I was asked to give a Plain Language look to FDA's draft White Paper on Proteomics - a new and promising field in genetic research based on what we have learned since the human genome has been mapped & which could lead to huge advances in diagnosing and treating disease (including personalized medicine). It's the "I was asked" part that is so important. It shows that FDA scientists are beginning to realize the need to communicate new and important breakthroughs to non-scientific audiences. We are spreading the message I first heard from Julie Ann Miller, editor of ScienceNews:

Don't underestimate your readers' intelligence, but don't overestimate their knowledge of a particular field. When writing about science, don't simplify the science, simplify the writing.

Outside the government, my colleague Lily Whiteman and I have spoken to several scientific audiences over the past 2 years, including AAAS and the Council of Science Editors, to encourage editors to insist on clear science articles. And the American Medical Writers Assoc. has just accepted an article describing the need for clear science writing, which will publish no later than next March.

Now, I want to switch gears a bit and talk about Sept. 11. Like many of you, all of us in the US, especially in the Federal government, have a story about how the events of 9/11 changed our lives. As some of you know, FDA headquarters is located in the Washington DC suburbs. We felt up-close-and-personal to the events of that day. In fact, the mother of an FDA employee was on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon.

One thing that we learned again in the days following the terrorist attacks is the overwhelming need people have for clear information, especially in times like this.

As you might imagine, FDA was also very involved in the aftermath (along with other HHS agencies - NIH & CDC) especially in dealing with the anthrax situation. As the anthrax threat unfolded last fall, some of our colleagues were in the unenviable situation of having to work with and share information that later turned out to be out-of-date, incomplete, or less than accurate. So, first we need good, reliable information-then we need to ensure that it's clear and understandable.