Medical research has transformed lives through dramatic reductions in deaths from heart disease and cancer, near-normal life expectancy for people with HIV/AIDS and cystic fibrosis, gene therapies for conditions like sickle cell disease, and countless other breakthroughs. This is the remarkable journey from initial discovery in the lab to cures that save lives, driven by innovative researchers and institutions across the country. 

Unfortunately, most people don't connect research advances to their own experiences — their family member's recovery, the medications they rely on, the treatments that extended a loved one's life. Closing this gap requires strategic communications that transform complex science into compelling human stories to drive policy change. 

Our Work 

Below are a few examples of how we've helped partners elevate research, build public understanding and inspire action around medical science. 

Telling the Story of Revolutionized Research  
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

NCATS was created to improve how science is done — to help researchers work smarter and faster to meet the incredible need for new treatments. Burness provided ongoing strategic communications support to share NCATS' story of reimagining scientific discovery, including developing accessible explanations of complex innovations like tissue chips and the Tissue Chips in Space program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked with NCATS to bring the stories of experts working behind the scenes to rapidly develop our understanding of the disease and leverage our existing biomedical research infrastructure to find treatments.

Catalyzing a Movement for Data Sharing
Vivli

When Vivli launched its global platform for sharing clinical trial data in 2018, we provided comprehensive launch support — from the event at the National Academy of Sciences to social media strategy, media relations and ongoing campaigns. We helped place an op-ed in STAT calling data sharing an imperative, not an option — framing the issue in human terms about speeding up cures. Today, Vivli is one of the largest global data sharing platforms for clinical trials, with research flourishing across diseases from rheumatoid arthritis to breast cancer to Crohn's disease — fueling changes in treatment and patient care.

Thought Leadership for Cutting-Edge Science
Gene Editing Institute at ChristianaCare

We've worked with the Gene Editing Institute at ChristianaCare, a community-based hospital system in Delaware, to communicate their efforts to use CRISPR technology to help patients fight disease and lead healthier lives. Through op-eds and media outreach, we've positioned the institute and Eric Kmiec, PhD, their director, as thoughtful, patient-centered scientists. We've helped the institute articulate how research where patient outcomes lead the journey can help create innovative treatments with the potential to serve millions.

Building Chronic Pain Advocates Through Strategic Training
Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship 

Since 2004, Burness has worked with the Mayday Fund to create and manage the Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship — a program designed to engage, train and coach pain experts to be strong spokespeople and powerful advocates. For over 20 years, we've conducted intensive four-day communications trainings in Washington, DC, building fellows' skills in messaging, working with media and policymakers, presentations, storytelling, narrative change and digital tactics. Through this program, we've trained more than 125 pain management leaders — clinicians, researchers, patient advocates and policy professionals. Fellows have secured state funding to embed pain courses in medical schools, increased research funding, placed op-eds in outlets from the Washington Post to the New England Journal of Medicine, and contributed to the National Pain Strategy. One fellow's TED talk has been viewed over 2.5 million times, demonstrating how strategic communications training transforms experts into powerful public voices.

Communicating the Power of Implementation Science for Mental Health Care
Stanford Center for Dissemination and Implementation

The Stanford Center for Dissemination and Implementation (CDI) is a national leader in implementation science, applying rigorous methods to overcome obstacles that prevent efficient and sustainable adoption of proven health care innovations, particularly in mental health and addiction treatment. Burness has worked with Stanford CDI to provide strategic communications support across multiple ongoing programs. We helped brand, launch and develop messaging and a communications plan for the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS) and provided editorial support and helped launch and market the Research Adoption Support Center (RASC) Evidence-Based Practice Navigator, offering detailed information on effective interventions for opioid use disorders and pain.

Elevating Infectious Disease Research
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)

The COVID-19 pandemic brought infectious disease research to the forefront, underscoring how vital this work is to protecting public health and saving lives. The American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) is a worldwide organization whose mission is to advance research on infectious diseases through prevention and control. Starting in 2011, Burness generated and implemented a media strategy built around important scientific research presented at ASTMH's Annual Meeting and published in its peer-reviewed journal. We created a process to review and promote promising studies to US and international media on topics ranging from West Nile virus in the United States to emerging disease threats and new treatment approaches. These efforts resulted in a significant leap in visibility for ASTMH, with coverage in outlets including the New York Times, NPR, BBC, the Washington Post, Nature and CNN, among many others.

Advocating for Increased NIH Funding
Group of Concerned Universities and Research Institutions (Harvard University-led)

In 2007, it had been eight years since the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate had held a hearing on the NIH, its work and its funding needs. A coalition of universities and research institutions determined that the story and promise of research needed to be made clear to members of Congress, for the country but also for their districts and states. To do this, Harvard, Brown, Duke, Ohio State, UCLA, Partners Health Care, Vanderbilt, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Washington University, The University of Wisconsin and Yale engaged Burness to tell the story of NIH-funded biomedical research. We produced two documents that were very well received on Capitol Hill, filling an information void of eight years. The first, A Broken Pipeline, concluded that flat funding of the NIH was putting a generation of future scientists at risk. Burness, the report’s writer, was also its media relations promoter. We generated massive publicity across the country, precisely what was needed to get the attention of legislators. The second, Within Our Grasp – Or Slipping Away, showcased promising research that exemplified what future NIH funding could do for our nation. The project was a huge success, as measured by increased funding for the NIH and far greater awareness of the value and power of biomedical research across the country.