The Big Van Theory

Helena González

Helena GonzálezHelena González is an expert in molecular biology and genetics with a PhD in Biomedical research.  During his PhD studies, she co-found the science communication company Big Van, scientist on the road, aimed to communicate science through stand up comedy shows. Through this company she lead and performed in many science-engagement activities for primary and secondary school students. Since 2013 he has been working as Coordinator of Education content in Big Van. She develops content for stand up shows, theater plays and scientific educational videos and books. She has been involved in science teaching and training in formal and informal education, being a trainer for Science Slams in Spain and Latin America, 3 minute thesis and LocosXciencia, among others.

Oriol Marimon

http://www.ignacioizquierdo.comPh. D. Oriol Marimon, or Orilo as his mum calls him, becomes M. Sc in Chemistry at the University of Barcelona because he liked to blow things up. This brave inhabitant of Barcelona not stopped growing since it was born on February 10, 1984. His doctoral studies led him to know the intricate bacterial world, ducking in protective snots and unravelling pathogenicities with only the help of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. He also does not really know what this means, but has served him to find three-dimensional structures of bacterial proteins, and understand a little better the bacterial biofilm. Now he is a professional Science Communicator in BigVan, scientist on road, in spite of the wishes of his father, who wanted to see him one day become president of the USA.

 

 Esther Marín

Esther Marín (Barcelona, 1981). Biologist and science communicator. Ph.D. in Biology and Plant Biotechnology (Autonomous University of Barcelona), European Master in Society, Science and Technology (Maastricht University), Master in Scientific, Medical, and Environmental Communication (Pompeu Fabra University). She has worked as a communication manager of the EU project SOPHIE (Structural Policies on Health Inequalities) and as a freelance researcher and coordinator of the project PerCientEx (Excelencia e en el Periodismo Científico en España). Also, she has collaborated on other projects related to citizen’s participation in research, and social perception of science and technology. Apart from her academic and professional life, she enjoys photography, documentaries, and discovering new places.

 

 Sergio Villanueva 

Sergio Villanueva

Sergio Villanueva was part of the PERFORM project team till November 2017. He holds a PhD in Communication and Information Studies by the University of Barcelona (UB). He is currently adjunct professor at University of Barcelona and postdoctoral researcher at The Big Van. His research focuses on the participatory practices in filmmaking and performing arts as means of social change. In this sense, he has studied participatory video as a cinematic process from the documentary studies perspective, but is also into citizen and community media, science communication and gender studies. He belongs the Spanish Association of Communication Research (AE-IC), where he has cofounded the Working Group into Communication and Citizenship, and to the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA).