Scientists Meet Django: Building Bridges Between Research and Software with Barkha Jain

Scientists and developers are solving the same problems—but rarely together.
Researchers generate valuable datasets, insights, and discoveries, but these often stay locked in papers, spreadsheets, or lab notebooks. Developers, on the other hand, build scalable platforms, APIs, and user experiences, but may lack access to scientific workflows and domain expertise. Django sits at a powerful intersection: it can transform research into accessible, interactive, and impactful software.
In this talk, I’ll share lessons from working across chemistry research, AI, and software development to show how Django can bridge the gap between scientific discovery and real-world applications. We’ll explore how research workflows map naturally onto Django models, data pipelines, and dashboards, and how web platforms can democratize scientific knowledge through citizen science portals, research collaboration tools, and public data platforms.
Beyond technology, this session focuses on people and communities. I’ll discuss strategies for building interdisciplinary communities that bring scientists and developers together—through open-source projects, workshops, and collaborative platforms—and why these bridges are essential for tackling global challenges.
This is a non-technical, narrative-driven session designed to inspire Django developers, researchers, educators, and community leaders to collaborate across disciplines and build software that amplifies scientific impact.

This talk was presented by Barkha Jain at DjangoCon US 2026 in Chicago, Illinois, USA
https://2026.djangocon.us/talks/scientists-meet-django-building-bridges-between-research-and-software/

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Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbarkha/