FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEMPHIS Aug 7, 2025 — Skip the slides. It turns out the real spark for cross-disciplinary breakthroughs might just be…small talk.

A new UCLA study shows that social conversations unrelated to research or career goals significantly increase the odds of future interdisciplinary collaboration. Researchers tracked 30 scientists – medicine, engineering, behavioral science, data science, and beyond – during the hybrid mHealth Training Institute (mHTI), analyzing more than 1,000 interactions across Zoom and in-person sessions.

The surprise? High-quality casual conversations, not research chats, were the strongest predictor of future collaboration.

Key findings

• Small talk fuels science. A meaningful non-research conversation increased the chance of follow-up research dialogue by up to 62%, regardless of discipline or seniority.
• Zoom builds bonds. In-person settings better supported detailed project work, but early online banter builds trust.
• Trust outranks titles. Helpful, pleasant exchanges, regardless of discipline or seniority, predict future collaborations.

Key take aways

This study offers a blueprint for making academic events more collaboration-friendly:

• Make space for the informal. Coffee breaks, walking meetings, and group dinners aren’t distractions – they are essential.
• Use virtual tools wisely. Online meetups can seed early relationships before teams meet in person.
• Start personal. Go beyond the usual bios with icebreakers, storytelling, or “non-research” shares.

“A five-minute chat about pets can do more for science than another round of slides,” said lead author Dr. Yingshi Huang. “Social connection builds the trust that makes team science possible.”

About the mHealth Training Institute (mHTI)

Hosted by the mDOT Center and funded by the NIH, the mHealth Training Institute is a national incubator for cultivating transdisciplinary innovators in mobile health. Each year, it brings together emerging leaders in medicine, data science, behavioral science, engineering and beyond for an immersive team-science experience. Since 2016, it has trained over 300 scholars and catalyzed dozens of interdisciplinary collaborations, grants and publications.

Study citation
Huang Y, Luo J, Shetty V, Jeon M. (2025). The Power of Social Talk: A Longitudinal Network Analysis of Conversations in Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. Published online 2025:1-26. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2025.10124

Media contact
Shahin Alan Samiei
📧 ssamiei@memphis.edu