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Description: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the landscape of scientific writing and publishing, from grammar correction to content generation. Join BELS for a thought-provoking panel discussion on how editors in the life sciences can critically engage with AI tools – balancing innovation, accuracy, and ethics. This session will explore real-world applications, practical limitations, and the evolving role of the human editor in an AI-augmented workflow.

Speakers:

Adrienne Montgomerie
Certified copyeditor and editing instructor, full-time freelancer since 1997

Adrienne Montgomerie has been freelancing as an editorial consultant under the name SciEditor for close to 30 years. They are an Editors Canada certified copy editor and experienced structural editor and proofreader for print and electronic publications for educational and trade publishers, corporations, NGOs, academics, and non-profits internationally. Editors Canada also awarded Adrienne the prestigious Virag award for raising the profile of the editing profession.

Adrienne has trained hundreds of other editors through universities and professional associations, and their Editing in Word textbook is used in publishing education programs. You may also recognize them from their Right Angels and Polo Bears editing blog that attracts thousands of visitors, from their chapters in Editors Canada’s Edit Like a Pro! and Editing Canadian English, the Indian Copyeditors’ Society series Discover the Editor in You—Copyediting as a Career, PerfectIt/Draftsmith’s Perfection Under Pressure, or citations in many leading industry guides. They also write nonfiction for the general public and have published a handful of books and hundreds of articles mostly on technology and freelancing topics.

When not at their desk, Adrienne is sea kayaking or testing their comedy routines. Follow Adrienne online as @SciEditor.

J. Kelly Byram, MS, MBA, ELS
Founder & CEO | Duke City Consulting, LLC and DCC Cyber Group
Co-founder | Evergreen Biomedical Communications Group, LLC
Freelancer's Guide to Cybersecurity

J. Kelly Byram, MS, MBA, ELS, is the founder and CEO of Duke City Consulting and DCC Cyber. Her work blends high-level strategy with practical implementation. She applies her background in technology, research, and medical communication to advise clients on AI funding strategies, implementation, commercialization, and compliance in research and regulated environments.

Through DCC Cyber, Kelly leads cybersecurity and GenAI education sessions, providing tools and microlearning modules to help freelancers and small teams responsibly integrate AI into their writing and editing practices. She also co-founded Evergreen Biocommunications Group, which offers development resources to equip professional medical communicators for the rapidly evolving landscape of medical communication.

Kelly frequently speaks on the future of AI in medical communication, including its effects on workforce trends, data security, and research transparency.

Phill Jones, PhD
Co-Founder, Digital and Technology
MoreBrains Cooperative

Dr. Phill Jones is a technologist, entrepreneur, product leader, strategic analyst, and consultant. His current role is co-founder, digital, and technology at MoreBrains Cooperative, where he acts as a principal consultant for a range of clients in open science infrastructure, scholarly publishing, and digital product innovation. Immediately prior to MoreBrains, Phill was running his own independent consultancy called Double L Digital. Previously, Phill was the CTO at Emerald Publishing and before that, he held a series of roles at Digital Science, including Director of Publishing Innovation and a senior role in the consultancy division. He was also the first Editorial Director at Journal of Visualized Experiments.

Phill serves on the council of the European Association of Science Editors (EASE) and a member of the Learned Publishing Editorial Board. He’s a member of the advisory board for the Researcher to Reader conference, a participant in the African Journals Partnership Programme and a judge for the Karger Vesalius Innovation Awards.

In a former life, Phill was a cross-disciplinary researcher at Imperial College, London, UK Atomic Energy Authority, and Harvard Medical school. His career spanned plasma physics, biomedical engineering, and neuroscience.

Moderator:

Wim DHaeze, PhD, ELS