Dr Evelyne Deplazes grew up in a farming family in Switzerland, with no family members ever going to university. At 16, she spent more than six months in hospital, forcing her to redo a year of high school. After six months, Evelyne’s illness relapsed and she was forced to return to hospital. Faced with doing the same year a third time, Evelyne decided to leave high school. Evelyne then went on to complete an apprenticeship as a car electrician and another in the logistics of spare parts, a diploma in business, worked as a technical assistant in engineering, as well time working in a bank. A c ..read more

In high school, Dr Ann Damien got the opportunity to attend the National Youth Science Forum. It was the first time she was surrounded by other people genuinely excited and passionate about science. Studying both biotech and business, Ann’s attention turned to taking discoveries from the lab, through translation and commercialisation. After completing an industry-based Honours program, Ann paved the way for other undergraduates to be involved in non-wetlab, industry projects. Ann’s career now takes life-changing and lifesaving healthcare technologies from bench to bedside. Learn more about Dr ..read more

In building a successful academic career, it is a common belief you need to work and conduct research internationally – not doing so can have you labelled a risk-avoider and not fully committed. But this is a path not all can, or indeed, want to, take. My guest today is Dr Shyuan Ngo. Shyuan has certainly challenged this assumption as the gold standard of attainment in academia. Completing a PhD in neuroscience, Shyuan received the Bill Gole Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia, was awarded a Queensland Tall Poppy Award, and received the Scott ..read more

As a child, Dr Fernanda Adame saw a National Geographic documentary with people exploring the wilds of Africa. It was at that moment Fernanda knew that that was what she wanted to do with her life. With a degree in biology, a masters in limnology (inland aquatic ecosystems) and oceanography, and a PhD in Marine Science, Fernanda is now an internationally recognised authority on mangrove and wetlands conservation. Speaking passionately about “helicopter research”, she works closely with local communities, NGOs, governments, Traditional Owners and community groups to protect our critically impor ..read more

New episodes of Women in Science are on the way. In our second season, Doctor Kirsty Short speaks to some incredible researchers, forging their academic careers and making critically important progress in their disciplines. Subscribe to Women in Science wherever you listen to podcasts to be the first to hear new episodes. Women in Science is brought to you by The University of Queensland ..read more

In this episode, Dr Kirsty Short talks to Professor Avril Robertson. Prof Robertson is a Professor in Biotechnology in the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences at The University of Queensland. She completed a commercially focused degree and PhD in bio-organic chemistry at the University of St Andrews, Scotland in 2000. She also has qualifications in both secondary and tertiary teaching. Avril had a successful 10 years in the UK biotechnology and drug discovery industry before moving to The University of Queensland as Head of Medicinal Chemistry in the Center for Drug Design and Discov ..read more

In this episode of Women in Science, Dr Kirsty Short speaks to Professor Peta Ashworth. Professor Peta Ashworth OAM is the Director of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership, and Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures at The University of Queensland (UQ). Professor Ashworth brings over thirty years’ experience working in a range of senior management, consulting and research roles. Prior to joining UQ in 2016, Peta worked as a consultant to industry, as Research Group Leader at CSIRO, and in senior executive roles for the Body Shop. In addition to her role as the Director of t ..read more

In this episode, Dr Kirsty Short speaks to Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop AO FAA. Prof Rubinsztein-Dunlop is a professor of physics at the University of Queensland and an Officer of the Order of Australia. She has led pioneering research in atom optics, biophysics and quantum physics, was one of the originators of the widely used laser enhanced ionisation spectroscopy technique and is well known for her recent work in laser micromanipulation ..read more

In this episode, Dr Kirsty Short speaks to Professor Jenny Seddon. Professor Seddon is a veterinarian and a molecular geneticist and has an established and international reputation in using genetic tools to address ecological questions in support of the conservation of wildlife. She is the Associate Dean(Research)& Deputy Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science at The University of Queensland ..read more

In this episode, Dr Kirsty Short speaks to Professor Neena Mitter. Professor Mitter has been involved in molecular biology and biotechnology in Australia and India for over 20 years. Her scientific journey began as an agricultural scientist in India, where she learned first-hand the significance of agriculture in shaping the world, economically, socially, environmentally and politically ..read more