38. Amplification Partners: Prof Megan Munsie on leveraging established networks and voices to multiply your impact


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Episode show notes

Instead of spending years building your own audience from scratch, what if you could partner with organisations and voices that already have your target community's trust and attention? Professor Megan Munsie has spent two decades mastering this approach — what she calls "amplification strategy" — to reach patients, policymakers, and the public with critical stem cell research insights.

Rather than standing at lecterns delivering one-way presentations, she's learned to embed herself within the very networks her research aims to serve, from patient advocacy groups to media organizations to policy circles. Her approach transforms researchers from isolated communicators into collaborative partners within established community networks—multiplying impact while making the most of limited time and resources.

Megan is a professor at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and a renowned expert in stem cell research who has dedicated her career to exploring the ethical, legal, and social implications of the field. Her amplification approach emerged from a practical realisation: "It doesn't really make a lot of sense if I'm just going to answer individual patient inquiries. So it's much more impactful if I work with those in the community who are already talking to the people I want to reach."

"It comes back to this idea of where is the best way to spend your time. What's the most impactful way to reach the audience and who can you partner with? Why would you want to start up your own YouTube channel when you could perhaps appear on something that already has a following?" — Professor Megan Munsie

Over two decades, Megan has built strategic partnerships across diverse sectors—from working with spinal cord injury peer leaders to collaborating with policy officers at the Australian Academy of Science, from appearing on ABC's 7.30 to writing for The Conversation. Her methodology centers on long-term relationship building, authentic collaboration, and the crucial insight that effective communication requires being invited into communities rather than imposing yourself upon them.

Whether you're overwhelmed by the thought of building your own social media following from scratch, struggling to connect with the communities your research aims to serve, or looking to multiply your impact without multiplying your workload, this episode offers a practical roadmap for finding and partnering with the voices that can amplify your message to the right people.


Our conversation covers:

  • Understanding amplification strategies and how they differ from traditional outreach

  • Building authentic partnerships with patient advocacy groups and community organisations

  • Working effectively with mainstream media, policy organisations, and social media platforms

  • The importance of humility, curiosity, and adaptation in all stakeholder relationships

  • Practical steps for identifying and approaching potential amplification partners

  • Why starting small and learning from colleagues is more effective than trying to "conquer the world"




Practical tips:

  • Start with audience mapping before partner identification:

    • "Who do you want to reach? Do you know what they're interested in and want to hear? And who else are they listening to? So I suppose at the core of it, it's kind of a map where you think about what you're trying to do, for whom, and build that into your strategy." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Focus on long-term relationships, not one-off interactions:

    • "At the cornerstone of my strategy is these long-term relationships. It's not one and done. You need to be prepared to modify what you want to do based on what your partner may be interested in or may be interested in right now." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Approach partnerships with genuine curiosity and humility:

    • Listen and learn before jumping in with your message. Understand the tensions and different views within partner organizations before making requests for help.

    • "I think sensitivity, you need to approach these issues with a little bit of careful thought and a lot of communication." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Look for existing partnerships before going solo:

    • Check who around you is already working with organizations you want to partner with. Consider joining or enhancing existing efforts rather than creating competing initiatives.

    • "Maybe sometimes we need to either watch what others are doing and join or mirror or make ourselves a little bit more distinct." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Target specific people within organisations:

    • Identify key individuals who interface directly with your target audience, such as peer leaders, policy officers, or staff members who take community calls.

    • "For me, it's always been identifying key people within the organization who maybe have a role, for example, directly interfacing with the patient community." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Become an active participant in relevant forums:

    • Attend events and engage with content even when it's not directly related to your field to learn how effective communication is done and to build relationships.

    • "When you see an interesting forum advertised, it may not be anything to do with your science, but maybe you should go along if it kind of intrigues you... you're watching how they're doing it." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Adapt your message and methods based on partner feedback:

    • Be prepared to modify your approach, timeline, and even format based on what your partners need and what works for their communities.

    • "There's times to kind of come together around a particular issue to form those relationships within the scientific community as well. But not always bombard the same people with a slightly different, but similar message." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Start small and learn from colleagues:

    • Don't try to build every relationship at once. Begin with your immediate network and learn from those already doing effective engagement.

    • "Start small and big things will grow, but you can't kind of come in right, perhaps at your dream position straight away... start talking to people who are doing something similar." — Professor Megan Munsie

  • Stay within your expertise and refer appropriately:

    • Be honest about the boundaries of your knowledge and connect partners with other experts when needed to maintain trust and credibility.

    • "I never pretend to know everything about stem cells. I am interested in this particular area and have deep knowledge here and then I'll introduce them to a colleague if they have a question I can't answer." — Professor Megan Munsie


Credits:

  • Host & Producer: Chris Pahlow

  • Edited by: Laura Carolina Corrigan

  • Music by: La Boucle and Blue Steel, courtesy of Epidemic Sound


Chris Pahlow
Chris Pahlow is an independent writer/director currently in post-production on his debut feature film PLAY IT SAFE. Chris has been fascinated with storytelling since he first earned his pen license and he’s spent the last ten years bringing stories to life through music videos, documentaries, and short films.
http://www.chrispahlow.com
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37. Crafting Your Signature Talks: Prof Phillip Dawson on developing repeatable academic presentations that build your reputation