Assistant Professor · School of Communication · Florida State University

Annie Li Zhang

I study how social media and new technologies shape the way the public understands science, and how scientists can communicate in ways that earn trust.

A dendrimer, the branching molecule I built as a chemistry student. How it led me to science communication

Why the CSSC Briefs

Being a science communication scholar means two things to me.

Studying

How media influences our understanding of and engagement with scientific issues.

Sharing

Communicating my own science, engaging with people and communities on the science of science communication.

The CSSC Briefs

A short summary of every project and publication, easily digestible, useful for you, and hopefully entertaining along the way.

Every brief walks you through
  1. 1What we did
  2. 2What we found
  3. 3Why it matters

Latest CSSC Briefs

All briefs →
August 2026Cell

AuthorsAshley Moses, Annie Li Zhang, Michael Todorovic, Rohan Ramakrishna, …, Ben Rein

Modern science outreach: a guide for scientists

Science communication doesn't have to mean going viral every day. In a guide for Cell, we lay out six practices, from perfecting your elevator pitch to joining podcasts, that help scientists reach the public, each rated by how much time it takes and how far it can reach.

July 2026Computational Communication ResearchOpen access

AuthorsYuhan Li, Annie Li Zhang, Hang Lu

Stitch, duet, reply: are TikTok’s interactive features making science more participatory?

Only about 4% of science videos on TikTok used stitch, duet, or reply-to. But when creators did use them, scientists and influencers led the way, often to debunk misinformation. Pseudoscience used them too, and those videos got shared more.

Research at a glance

Research and publications →