Ambassadors include Premier's Science Award winners who have been recognised as WA’s top STEM researchers, educators and communicators. Ambassadors have listed their areas of expertise and the types of engagement activities they undertake below.
If you would like to invite an Ambassador to participate in an engagement activity, you may contact them directly. Please provide plenty of advance notice for any requests. In your email, introduce yourself and let the Ambassador know you found their details via the department.
Directory
Mrs Natalie Birrell
Show moreTeacher/ Science Learning Area Coordinator at Huntingdale Primary School
STAWA Primary Science Committee Member
STAWA Primary Science Committee Member
Contact
Natalie.Birrell@education.wa.edu.au
Expertise
Primary Science Generalist, Early Childhood, Sustainability Engagement activities; Small group discussions such as a Science Café; Writing articles for print or online publication; Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2005 - Premier's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching - Primary
- 2009 - Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools (finalist)
- 2009 - De Laeter medal for contribution to science education
Dr Todd Bond
Show moreResearch Associate at the University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Marine science, fish ecology, decommissioning offshore oil and gas infrastructure, artificial structures, baited remote underwater stereo-video (BRUV)
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- 2020 - ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year
- 2018 - Robson and Robertson Award UWA
Dr Asha Bowen
Show moreNHMRC Early Career Fellow at Telethon Kids Institute
Contact
Contact Asha.bowen@telethonkids.org.au, or via the Telethon Kids website.
Expertise
Skin infections in Aboriginal children (scabies, skin sores); Infectious diseases of children; Clinical trials; Gram positive pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Strep A); Primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever.
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio, TV and podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Participating in National Science Week
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science
Awards
- 2015 – 2019 - NHMRC Early Career Fellowship
- 2017 - Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year
- 2017 - Telethon Kids Institute Supporting Early Research Leaders Scheme
- 2017 - WA Health New Independent Researcher Scheme
Professor Carol Bower
Show moreSenior Principal Research Fellow at Telethon Kids Institute
Contact
Please direct requests for ambassador activities to Amy Birch, Senior Communications Officer, Telethon Kids Institute.
Expertise
Epidemiology; Population health; Birth defects; Neural tube defects; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Engagement activities&
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Having a stall at Perth Science Festival
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science
Awards
- 1965 – Science Union Prize for Botany, The University of Western Australia
- 1969 – Vacation Scholarship, The University of Western Australia
- 1970 – Helen Jane Lamard Prize in Surgery, The University of Western Australia
- 1970 – Geoffrey Ashburton Thompson Prize in Obstetrics, The University of Western Australia
- 1982 – NHMRC Public Health Travelling Fellowship
- 1983-84 – The University of Western Australia WA and MG Saw Medical Research Fellow
- 1999 – Annie B Cunning Medal, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- 2001 – Individual Community Award, Public Health Association of Australia (Western Australian branch)
- 2006 – Health Consumers’ Council (WA) Inc. Certificate for Excellent Services to Consumers
- 2007 – International Flour Fortification Initiative Leadership Award
- 2007 – Staff Excellence Award, Women and Newborn Health Service
- 2011 – Australasian Epidemiological Association Life Member
- 2011 – NHMRC 10 of the Best Research Projects Award for Determinants of Child Health and Development: Populations, Partnerships, Pathways and Prevention, Stanley FJ, Bower C, de Klerk N, Lehmann D, Leonard H, Silburn S, Zubrick S
- 2012 – National Medicinewise Best E-Health Resources Award for Pharmacovigilance in pregnancy using population-based linked dataset, Colvin L, Slack-Smith L, Stanley FJ, Bower C
- 2012 – Consumer and Community Advisory Council, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research Consumer and Community Participation Award - in recognition of good practice initiatives of consumer and community participation in research by the Program Grant Governance Committee Stanley FJ, Bower C, de Klerk N, Leonard H Silburn S, Zubrick S, Payne J, Scott L
- 2015 – International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research Distinguished Service Award
- 2016 – International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research – J David Erickson Scientific Lectureship
- 2017 – Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science Fellow
- 2019 – Western Australian Science Hall of Fame inductee
Associate Professor Christopher Brennan-Jones
Show moreHead, Ear Health & NHMRC Early Career Fellow at Telethon Kids Institute
Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Western Australia
Senior Paediatric Audiologist at Perth Children’s Hospital
Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Western Australia
Senior Paediatric Audiologist at Perth Children’s Hospital
Contact
Chris.Brennan-Jones@telethonkids.org.au
Expertise
Audiology; Hearing loss; Otitis media; Aboriginal ear health; Telehealth
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio, TV and podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Participating in National Science Week
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science
Awards
- 2016 - Student Scientist of the Year, Premier’s Science Awards
- 2018 - National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship
- 2018 - Rising Star, Science on the Swan
- 2019 - Raine/Robson Fellow, Raine Medical Research Foundation
- 2019 - Young Tall Poppy in Science, Australian Institute of Policy and Science
- 2020 - 40 under 40 – Woodside Excellence in STEM Award
- 2020 - Early Career Scientist of the Year, Premier’s Science Awards
Dr Tristan Clemons
Show moreResearch Fellow at School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Nanotechnology applications in biology including in cancer, wound healing and scarring
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2013 - ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year
- 2014 - WA Young Tall Poppy Science Award (Aus Institute of Policy and Science)
- 2016 - UWA Faculty of Science Rising Star Award
Morgan Cox
Show morePhD Candidate at Curtin University
Contact
Expertise
Geology, impact cratering, early Earth
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- 2020 - ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year
Dr Adam Cross
Show moreResearch Fellow at Curtin University
Contact
Expertise
Ecology, Botany, Conservation biology, Restoration ecology, Rehabilitation, Carnivorous plants
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio, TV and podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science
Awards
- 2006 – Shenton College Dux of Biology
- 2011 – Australian Postgraduate Award
- 2012 – The University of Western Australia Postgraduate Travel Award
- 2014 – Perth Zoo Prize for Conservation Research
- 2018 – Fresh Science Western Australia Award
- 2019 – Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year
Dr Dan Curran
Show moreDoctor with WA Country Health Service
Contact
daniel.curran@health.wa.gov.au
Expertise
- Indigenous Health
- Medicine
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio interviews
- TV interviews
- Podcast interviews
- Participating in National Science Week
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum (e.g. Meet the Scientist or Science Café)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- 2021 – Aboriginal STEM Student of the Year, Premier’s Science Awards
- 2019 – Top Achiever Award, Indigenous Pre-Medicine and Health Sciences Enabling Course
- 2019 – Dean’s Academic Excellence Award, Indigenous Pre-Medicine and Health Sciences Enabling Course
Dr Jacinta Delhaize
Show morePostdoctoral researcher at University of Zagreb, Croatia (previously UWA)
Contact
Expertise
- Astronomy
- Radio Astronomy
- Galaxies
- Galaxy evolution
- Physics
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- TV interviews
- Radio or podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
Awards
- 2008 - Student Scientist of the Year
Kirsten Fredericksen (nee Gottschalk)
Show moreCo-Chair of Astronomy WA and Senior Communications Advisor at CSIRO
Contact
Expertise
- Astronomy
- Science communication
- Education
- Outreach
- Community events
- Training
- Media and PR
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio, TV and podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science
- Science teaching resources and professional learning
- Public science demonstrations and science outreach through engaging resources and activities, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and use of telescopes (day or night)
Awards
- 2019 – Joint Chevron Science Engagement Initiative of the Year
Professor Kliti Grice
Show moreJohn Curtin Distinguished Professor at Curtin University
Contact
Expertise
Earth Sciences, Evolution, Mass Extinctions, Ecology, Geobiology, Biomarkers, Stable C, H, S and N isotopes of organic molecules, Organic Geochemistry, PaleoClimate, Biodiversity Hot Spots, Petroleum, Mineral Exploration, Plant biochemistry, Plants, Algae, Fungi, Archae, Impact crater, Ocean, Climate and Life
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Research program Resilient and Evolving Earth
- WA Earth Connections- Outreach Program
Fellowship of Academies
- 2018 - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
- 2013 - Honorary Fellow of the Geochemical Society and European Association of Geochemistry
- 2009 - RACI Fellow
Awards
- 2001 - International Pieter Schenck Award presented by the European Association of Organic Geochemistry for outstanding contributions in Organic Geochemistry
- 2002 - Premier's Prize for Early Career Achievement in Science
- 2002 - JG Russell Award, Australian Academy of Science for QEII research
- 2013 - Curtin John de Laeter Research Leadership Award
- 2014 - Organic Geochemistry lifetime achievement medal
- 2017 - Gibb Maitland medal from the Australian Geological Society for Outstanding Contributions to the Resources sector WA
- 2017-Morrison Medal, The Australian and New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry
- 2018- The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science Medal (2018) for extraordinary contributions to science and science advocacy
- 2019- Curtin University research and engagement awards - STEM research excellence medal
Timothy Keely
Show moreSTEM Outreach Coordinator at Curtin University
Contact
Expertise
- Community engagement
- STEM awareness
- Public speaking
- Youth advocate,
- Project development
Engagement Activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio interviews
- TV interviews
- Podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Participating in National Science Week
- Being a National Science Week Media Ambassador
Awards
- 2021 Premier's Science Awards - Chevron Science Engagement Initiative of the Year
Dr Myra Keep
Show moreAssociate Professor at School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Geology, Plate tectonics, Earthquakes, Petroleum in WA, Geology and development in East Timor
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2013 - Science Ambassador of the Year
Ed Litton
Show moreIntensive Care Specialist at Fiona Stanley Hospital and UWA
Contact
Expertise
- Clinical Medicine
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Clinical Trials
- Clinical Quality Registries
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio interviews
- TV interviews
- Podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Participating in National Science Week
- Holding a science engagement event
- Presentation or science show during National Science Week
- Being a National Science Week Media Ambassador
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum (e.g. Meet the Scientist or Science Café)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- Early Career Scientist of the Year (2021)
- Don Harrion Medal (top mark in College of Intensive Care Medicine Fellowship exam 2009)
Professor Ryan Loxton
Show moreProfessor at the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Sciences, Curtin University
Contact
Expertise
Applied mathematics, Data analytics, Optimisation
Engagement activities
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- 2014 - Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year
- 2019 - JH Michell Medal (ANZIAM - Australian and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics)
- 2020 - Christopher Hedye Medal (Australian Academy of Science)
Professor Barry Marshall NL
Show moreDirector Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training
Contact
Expertise
Life Sciences
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
Awards
- 2005 - Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
- 2007 - Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC)
- 2007 - Western Australian of the Year
- 2007 - Inductee to WA Science Hall of Fame
Mr Warwick Mathews
Show moreWine maker, After Hours Wine
Contact
Expertise
Science mentorships
Engagement activities
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
2007 -- Premier's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching - Secondary
Dr Ajmal Mian
Show moreAssociate Professor at the School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Biometrics, Image analysis (including satellite images)
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
Awards
- 2012 -- Early Career Scientist of the Year
Professor Harvey Millar
Show moreDirector ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology at The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Plant biology, plant biotechnology, respiratory metabolism, protein technology and analysis.
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- TV interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2003 –Premier's Prize for Early Career Achievement in Science
- 2005 – Prime Minister's Prize – Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year
- 2012 – Academy of Science Fenner Medal
- 2013 – Charles Albert Shull Award, (USA)
- Prof Millar was the first Australian to win this award which recognises outstanding investigations in the field of plant biology by a scientist younger than 45.
- 2014 – Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Scientist (Plant and Animal Science)
- 2017 – Premier’s Scientist of the Year Award
Karen de San Miguel Wellington
Show moreCoderDojo Lead at the Fogarty Foundation
Contact
Expertise
Social Innovation, Science, Technology and Society (STS), Diversity in Technology, Sustainable Community Development, Systems and Resilience Thinking, Complex Adaptive Systems, Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem Development, 21st Century Skill Development, Social and Relational Capital, Evidence-Based Mentoring, Social, Connected and Networked Learning, Program Development and Evaluation.
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio interviews
- TV interviews
- Podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Participating in National Science Week: holding a science engagement event, being a National Science Week Media Ambassador
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum (e.g. Meet the Scientist or Science Café)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- STEM Engagement Evaluation & Strategy Consulting
Awards
- 2016 - Westpac Social Change Fellowship
- 2017 - Murdoch University Learning Excellence Academy Student Fellow
- 2017 - Premier’s Science Award, Chevron Science Engagement Initiative of the Year (for CoderDojo WA)
Dr Hannah Moore
Show moreHead Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at Telethon Kids Institute
Contact
hannah.moore@telethonkids.org.au
Telethon Kids Institute - Hannah Moore
Expertise
Data linkage, Epidemiology, Infectious diseases in children, Respiratory infections
Engagement activities
- Women in Science / Leadership
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2015 – Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year
Professor Robert Newton
Show moreProfessor of Exercise Medicine at Edith Cowan University
Contact
Expertise
Research and clinical practice of exercise medicine as neoadjuvant, adjuvant and rehabilitative cancer therapy to reduce side-effects and enhance effectiveness of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy; the influence of targeted exercise medicine on tumour biology and exercise medicine for reducing decline in quality of life, strength, body composition and functional ability in cancer patients.
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio, TV and podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
Awards
- 2018 – Cancer Council WA Career Achievement Award
- 2018 – Western Australian of the Year Finalist
- 2019 – Premier’s Scientist of the Year
Further information
Professor Newton is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Fellow of the American College of Sprots Medicine, Fellow of Exercise and Sports Science Australia and Fellow of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Professor Newton has supervised 43 PhD students, 23 Masters Students and 3 Honours students to successful completion. He is currently supervising 12 PhD students and 3 Masters students. Professor Newton has published over 900 scientific papers including 433 refereed scientific journal articles, 450 conference abstracts and papers, three books, 17 book chapters and has a current Scopus h-Index of 79 with his work being cited 22,500 times. Topic of greatest publication output is exercise and cancer for a field-weighted citation impact of 3.00 and prominence percentile of 99.31. As of 2021 Professor Newton had attracted over $38 Million in competitive research funding.
Dr Melissa O’Donnell
Show moreAssociate Professor Melissa O'Donnell, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
Contact
Melissa.O'Donnell@unisa.edu.au
Expertise
Child abuse and neglect; Linked data analysis; Vulnerable children and youth
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio, TV and podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science
Awards
- 2009 - Perron Award for Academic Achievement
- 2009 - Louisa Alessandri Award for Scientific Publication
- 2010 - Qantas New Investigator Award
- 2011 - Australian Academy of Science – NHMRC Early Career Research Award, Attendance at Science at the Shine Dome
- 2011 - Science meets Parliament – NHMRC Attendee and Travel Award
- 2011 - National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship
- 2012 - PhD Supervisor of the Year Award – Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
- 2015 - Consumer and Community Participation Award – Telethon Kids Institute
- 2018 - Western Australian Premier’s Early Career Scientist of the Year
Associate Professor Kevin Pfleger
Show moreDirector Biomedical Innovation at The University of Western Australia and MTPConnect WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub; Head of Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research
Contact
Expertise
Fostering biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship; understanding how hormones, neurotransmitters and pharmaceuticals work in the body at the molecular and cellular level.
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2009 - Western Australian Young Scientist of the Year
- 2010 - Dimerix Bioscience: Finalist for Western Australian Innovator of the Year
- 2010 - NHMRC 10 of the Best Research Projects
- 2011 - Australian Museum 3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science
- 2012 - Endocrine Society Early Investigators Award
- 2012 - Western Australian Young Tall Poppy Science Award
- 2014 - Endocrine Society of Australia's Mid-Career Research Award
- 2014 - NHMRC Research Excellence Award
- 2015 - Vice-Chancellor of UWA’s Mid-Career Research Award
- 2016 - British Pharmacological Society Novartis Prize
- 2017 - 40under40 Intrapreneur Category winner and City of Perth Strategic Alliance Awards
- 2018 - UWA Innovation Champion
- 2018 - ASCEPT Award for Outstanding Contribution and Leadership
Professor Cheryl Praeger
Show moreProfessor of Mathematics at The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Mathematics, women in science.
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
Awards
- 2005 - WA Women's Hall of Fame
- 2009 - Scientist of the Year
- 2015 - Inductee to WA Science Hall of Fame
- 2019 - Prime Minister's Prize for Science
- 2021 - Companion, Order of Australia
Ms Karina Price
Show moreScience Communications Officer at ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Plant Energy Biology's Science Communications Officer represents the Centre and its researchers, whose expertise lies in plant energy biology including plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, genetics/epigenetics, food security and crop improvement
The Science Communications Officer's expertise lies in science communication, education, outreach, training, media and PR
Engagement activities
- Public science demonstrations and science outreach through novel resources and activities, including Bio-Bounce inflatable, planetarium movies and virtual reality
- Participation in significant science outreach events throughout Australia (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Delivery of hands-on school and public workshops
- Researcher engagement in education and outreach activities such as public lectures, student mentoring, Science Café etc
- Production of media articles for print or online publication
- TV and radio interviews
- Photography exhibits
- Contributing to science discussion through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
- Providing laboratory and facility tours to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Providing training and support to PEB researchers to enhance science communication and dialogue with public
- Science teaching resources and PD
Awards
- 2013 - Chevron Science Communication Initiative of the Year
Professor Peter Quinn
Show moreExecutive Director at International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR)
Contact
Expertise
Astronomy and astrophysics, computational cosmology and large scale supercomputer simulations, data intensive and high performance computing technology, governance and operations of intergovernmental organizations, industrial engagement, global research infrastructures and the design/development/operations of large multinational research facilities
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Planning, supporting and promoting documentary films and TV series on astronomy
- Currently Game Changer Awards Space Ambassador
- Supporting large scale and regional community astronomy events through ASTROFEST
Awards
- 2005 - Computerworld 21st Century Achievement Award
- 2006 - WA Premier’s Fellowship
- 2007 - Fellow of the Astronomical Society of Australia
- 2012 - WA Premier's Scientist of the Year Award
- 2013 - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
- 2016 - University of Wollongong Alumni Award for Research and Innovation
- 2020 - Australia Day award from City of Wollongong
- 2021 - Thomson-Reuters High Citation Index list
Mr Richard Rennie
Show moreScience Communicator
Contact
Expertise
To research, display and interpret to the public examples of technologies that use light and/or sound, with special emphasis on light and sound technologies that were used for the recording, retrieval and transmission of information. To use these light and sound technologies in educational and entertaining programs for people of all ages
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio or podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
2006 - Premier's Prize for Excellence in Science Communication
Dr Thomas Russell
Show moreVeni Fellow at University of Amsterdam (previously Curtin University)
Contact
Expertise
Astronomy, black holes
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Student mentoring for university and high school students
Awards
- 2015 - ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year
Professor Christobel Saunders
Show moreProfessor Surgical Oncology at The University of Western Australia
Contact
Christobel.saunders@uwa.edu.au
Expertise
Cancer, Cancer research
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio, TV and podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Participating in National Science Week
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science
Awards
- Fellow of the Australian Academy of Medical and Health Sciences
- 2010 - The Patron’s Award National Breast Cancer Foundation
- 2010 - Vice Chancellor’s Incentive Award for High Quality Research, The University of Western Australia
- 2012 - Highly Cited Researchers and Authors Award
- 2014 - Western Australia’s Department of Commerce Innovator of the Year Award - Emerging Innovation
- 2014 - The Vice-Chancellor’s Award in Impact and Innovation, The University of Western Australian
- 2015 - Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Award, The University of Western Australia
- 2017 - Premier's Scientist of the Year Award
- 2018 - WA Women’s Hall of Fame
Dr Arman Siahvashi
Show morePostdoctoral Research Fellow
Contact
Expertise
- Low and zero-carbon fuels such as LNG and hydrogen
- Thermodynamics of fluids
- Cryogenic fluids
- Experimental design
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio interviews
- TV interviews
- Podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Participating in National Science Week
- Presentation or science show during National Science Week
-
Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum (e.g. Meet the Scientist or Science Café)
-
Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year 2021
- Forrest Research Foundation Fellowship 2020
- Fulbright Fellowship 2020
- Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year 2020 (finalist)
- International Association of Chemical Thermodynamics: IACT Junior Awards 2020
- One of Australia’s Most Innovative Engineers (Engineers Australia) 2019
- WA Innovator of the Year 2019 (finalist) – Oil and Gas category
- National Measurement Institute Prize 2018
- ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year 2018
- WA Innovator of the Year 2018 (finalist) – Oil and Gas category
Professor Ian Small
Show moreChief Investigator Plant Energy Biology, ARC Centre of Excellence at The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Plant science, molecular agriculture, biodiversity (plants), synthetic biology
Engagement activities
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2006 - 2010 - WA State Premier's Fellow
- 2014 - Premier's Scientist of the Year Award
Professor Steven Tingay
Show moreJohn Curtin Distinguished Professor at Curtin University
Contact
Expertise
Radio astronomy and astrophysics, engineering and instrument development for radio astronomy, high performance computing and large-scale data processing/management, industry collaboration.
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio interviews
- TV interviews
- Podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour of facility visit to key stakeholders
- Participating in National Science Week
- Holding a science engagement event
- Presentation or science show at the Perth Science Festival
- Having a stall at the Perth Science Festival
- Being a National Science Week Media Ambassador
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum (e.g. Meet the Scientist or Science Cafe)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- Top 10 Emerging Leader in Australian Science: Microsoft Next 100 (2009)
- Western Australian Science Ambassador of the Year (2012)
- Curtin University Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Innovation and Excellence Providing Inspirational Leadership (2012)
- Thomson Reuters Citation and Impact Award for the MWA project (2015)
- John Curtin Distinguished Professor (2017)
- Fellow of the Astronomical Society of Australia
- Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics
Mrs Brooke Topelberg
Show moreScience teacher at Highgate Primary School
Contact
brooke.topelberg@education.wa.edu.au
Expertise
Primary School Science
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- TV interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2010 - Science Educator of the Year - Primary
- 2011 - Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools
Niamh Troy
Show morePhD student at the University of Western Australia
Contact
Niamh.troy@telethonkids.org.au
Expertise
- How the innate immune system deals with respiratory viruses
- Tapping into the innate immune system to prevent lung infections
- Babies immune systems and development of asthma
- Systems Biology
Engagement Activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Radio interviews
- Podcast interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Participating in National Science Week
- Holding a science engagement event
- Presentation or science show during National Science Week
- Having a stall at National Science Week
- Being a National Science Week Media Ambassador
- Informal small group discussions in a science centre or museum (e.g. Meet the Scientist or Science Café)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year at Premier’s Scientist of the Year Award 2021
- International Cytokine and Interferon Society Milstein Travel Award 2021
- European Congress of Immunology Bright Spark Award 2021
- Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology Carers Award 2021
- Stan and Jean Perron Award for Excellence in Research 2020
- Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology Women’s Initiative Travel Award 2019
- Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology Annual Meeting Award 2019
- European Molecular Biology (EMBL) Australia short term travel grant 2019
- National Asthma Australia PhD Scholarship 2017
- Stan and Jean Perron Top-Up Scholarship award 2017
- International Congress of Immunology (ICI) Travel Bursary 2016
- Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) Oral Presentation Award 2016
- Raine Study Annual Scientific Meeting Oral Presentation Award 2016
- Telethon Kids Annual Student Symposium Best Oral Presentation Award 2018
- European Molecular Biology (EMBL) Australia short term travel grant 2019
Ms Joanne Watkins
Show moreChief Executive Officer at Australian Earth Science Education (formerly Earth Science WA)
Contact
Australian Earth Science Education
Expertise
Earth Science Education
Engagement activities
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Assisting with science engagement events (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Small group discussions
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
Awards
- 2015 - Chevron Science Engagement Initiative of the Year
Professor David White
Show moreShell EMI Professor of Offshore Engineering at The University of Western Australia
Contact
Expertise
Offshore engineering, Oil and gas industry, Offshore decommissioning, Offshore renewables, Industry-academia collaboration, Geotechnical engineering
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Providing a lab tour or facility visit to key stakeholders
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
Awards
- 2011 - Early Career Scientist of the Year
- 2011 - Tall Poppy Award
- 2015 - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
- 2015 - Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Dr Mark Zammit
Show morePostdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Labs (previously Curtin University)
Contact
Expertise
Atomic and molecular physics, which has applications in astrophysics, radiotherapy for treating cancers, plasma and fusion technology
Engagement activities
- Presentations such as public lectures or panel discussions
- Small group discussions such as a Science Café
- Radio or podcast interviews
- TV interviews
- Writing articles for print or online publication
- Contributing to discussion through social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter)
- Engaging with young people to inspire them about science (e.g. talks or workshops in schools)
- Holding a science engagement event (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
- Public science demonstrations (e.g. as part of National Science Week)
Awards
- 2014 - ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year
