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Laura Brandes is the Communications Director at the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance and the POLIS Water Sustainability Project. Her work focuses on creatively and effectively communicating new research and innovative ideas to a variety of audiences, including community groups, all levels of government, media, practitioners, and funding organizations.

Laura brings her varied expertise as a writer, editor, science communicator, knowledge translator and mobilizer, event moderator, and website manager and content developer to her role within the POLIS team. She has produced and hosted the respected Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar series for over a decade. In this role, she has brought together thousands of expert water practitioners, thinkers, and emerging water leaders to engage with innovative ideas on water policy and governance in Canada. She has supervised and mentored dozens of students and young professionals in support staff roles, helping to train the next generation of water leaders.

She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph where she studied wildlife biology and music. She is an alumna of the renowned Banff Science Communications Program and has received professional training through the International Environmental Communication Association, Research Impact Canada, and Editors Canada.