About Tyler J. Ford PhD

Tyler wearing a backpack containing flowers

My mission is to make science accessible through empathy, creativity, and humor. Thus I hope to empower people to make better decisions.

I have my PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from Harvard University. While getting my PhD, I focused on developing my science communication skills and now get paid to do science communication professionally. I thoroughly enjoy teaching people through science communication and always try to bring laughter into the teaching process.

This website houses many of my personal projects and links to some of my professional work.  You can find some more information about my professional life on my LinkedIn page.

I currently do contract science communication work. If you’re a biotech company or biology researcher looking for help creating easy-to-understand content for your website or blog,  I would love to work with you! Please contact me via any of the social links at the bottom of the page or the contact page.

Testimonials

See what people think about working with me:

I worked with Tyler at Addgene where he was the manager of our blog and executed many other outreach and SciComm projects. Tyler excels at taking any project from start to finish in an organized way that ensures success. He is also one of the best editors I’ve ever worked with. His editing dramatically improved every writing project he was involved in reviewing. His mix of science and art made projects fresh and interesting.

Joanne Kamens, PhD, Executive Director at Addgene

I’ve known Tyler since we were in graduate school together. Tyler first worked with me on a professional level when he edited some of my submissions to the Harvard Medical School Science In The News publication, which he helped run. More recently Tyler edited and provided incredibly helpful comments on a science fiction short story I’ve been writing.

I love how Tyler is a very thoughtful editor who really tries to understand the message and tone the writer is trying to convey. When Tyler edits my work I know that he will help strengthen my voice and delivery instead of pasting something else over it. His own experiences with science, fiction, and blog writing enable him to be versatile as an editor. It’s a privilege to have a writer like Tyler spend the effort and time to look over your work and is well worth it!

-Gairik, Corporate Strategist

I worked remotely as a science communication intern under Tyler at Addgene. Over the span of 2 years, we worked together on 26 blog posts in addition to figures, GIFs, infographics and a video to accompany these posts. I always looked forward to getting Tyler’s edits because I knew they were going to improve my writing. His detailed and constructive comments improved the clarity of my posts without compromising my voice as a writer. I didn’t realize it at the time, but his mentorship not only improved my writing but also made me a better writer.

Beth Kenkel, Scientist at University of Washington

I’ve worked with Tyler on several writing projects over the past few years. He has helped me develop and polish popular science pieces, application materials, as well as a successfully funded fellowship application. Tyler has a knack for distilling complex and abstract ideas, both for other scientists and for the general public. Being able to effectively communicate your science to a variety of audiences is an essential skill for a scientist in any profession. Tyler’s skills as an editor and science communicator have both helped me progress as a trainee and have significantly improved my abilities to present and write about my scientific research.

Matthew Niederhuber, Doctoral Candidate at UNC Chapel Hill

I worked with Tyler for 2 years at Addgene. We worked together on a career advice post for Addgene’s blog (which I’d wanted to do for a while, and Tyler encouraged me with many high-fives to get down to business and just do it). The process Tyler set up and oversaw for creating blog posts, from drafting, to graphics, to editing, was great – I felt supported to create something I was proud of. Working with Tyler as my editor was also a breeze. He’s really great at turning clunky things into something very digestible. And not just in writing – since I’ve known him, Tyler has helped me understand many abstract scientific concepts that seemed somewhat out of reach by breaking them down into easy to understand nuggets. My favorite is when he accompanies these conversations with a cute little illustration. He’s basically a creative genius, and an awesome science communicator!

Kayla Strickland, Nonprofit Manager

Tyler has edited and helped me polish a funded NSF grant, a written proposal that passed Harvard Systems Biology PhD Qualifying Exam standards, and a review of microbial communities. His in-depth knowledge of biology paired with his empathy for readers makes him an invaluable resource for clarifying the message in a piece of scientific writing and communicating science effectively. Tyler is also good at giving detailed, constructive feedback which makes the revision process less painful. I cannot recommend him highly enough!

Stephanie Hays, Postdoctoral Researcher at UC Berkeley

As a researcher in academia, I spend most of my time communicating with professionally trained audiences who are familiar with my research topics. Since 2013, Tyler has helped me introduce my work to two very different audiences: the general public and people with scientific training who are not in my field. I have benefited tremendously from his communication expertise garnered from years of research, scientific outreach, and education. Tyler is especially skilled at tailoring language to benefit a specific audience. Moreover, working with Tyler is enjoyable: he is knowledgeable, prompt, and amiable. He never lectures; he teaches. He is always patient and ready to answer all the questions I have, especially those focused on the intricate differences between wording choices. I greatly appreciate the help and support I have received from Tyler!

Postdoctoral Researcher at UC Berkeley

I worked as an intern under Tyler for two summers while he was a PhD student in the Silver lab and I was in high school. My project supported Tyler’s work engineering bacteria to create biofuel precursor molecules. Tyler was a dedicated intern manager, introducing me to the world of science and cultivating my nascent empirical skills. He spent many hours discussing the newest developments in the field with me and helping me design my own experiments. In between the two summers and in the year after, I continued to work closely with Tyler as he provided me feedback on how to communicate my results. His mentorship empowered me to pursue my intellectual curiosities both in college and beyond.

Sam, Tech Professional