Neuroscientist Arianna Zuanazzi reflects on her journey so far in civic science

On this episode of CivicSciTV’s Changemakers program, I interviewed Dr. Arianna Zuanazzi about her path in civic science and how her experiences have shaped the work she does today. “I’ve always been living in this interdisciplinary world,” Zuanazzi says, reflecting on her journey from linguistics and neuroscience to open science, public engagement, and art-based collaborations. With a background in linguistics and cognitive neuroscience, Zuanazzi shares how her passion for open data, music, and language led her to civic science. From speaking at Pint of Science events to co-creating the film I Invite You, she reflects, “I really enjoyed using science and talking about science outside the lab itself.”

Zuanazzi helps shape collaborative experiences that bring neuroscience to the public through storytelling, workshops, and artistic encounters. Her work centers on creating welcoming environments where people of all backgrounds can contribute. “Spaces don’t exist without people,” she emphasizes—and when those people come together, something powerful happens: “Some of the best conversations,” she says, “are with people who are thinking outside the box.”

The bottom line

Zuanazzi’s journey highlights how civic science thrives at the intersection of disciplines. Her path shows the value of making science more open and accessible, not just through data sharing, but by building spaces where people from diverse backgrounds can co-create. Her journey demonstrates that relationship-building is a core tenet of civic science. One of the main takeaways: fostering dialogue across boundaries creates new and sometimes surprising possibilities.

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D'Maia Curry

D'Maia Curry is a writer with a background in Geology and is passionate about communicating technical information