 This study explored the experiences of citizen scientists who participated in a translational health research centre. The participants described their roles in research, motivations for participating and communication with researchers. Citizen scientists reported being invested in learning the discipline-specific language used by researchers and preferred smaller group sizes which allowed them to actively participate. Programs can use these findings to improve citizen scientists' long-term engagement in research. This article was authored by Rachel Domione, Janice El-Criga, Debbie Trace, and others.