Amanda Alvarez is a science communicator at RIKEN, Japan's national science institute. Her work covers all aspects of global research dissemination, from social media and writing to presentation coaching and public engagement. She also produces Nerd Nite Tokyo, a monthly outreach event, and is an organizer of the annual Japan Scicom Forum. Amanda has worked as a science writer in Switzerland, Germany and the United States and she received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Twitter: @neuroamanda