Let's Talk SciComm

Saying no can feel awkward, uncomfortable, or even selfish, especially when you want to be helpful or the opportunity feels exciting. In this episode of Listen to This If, in just 5 minutes Jen and Michael unpack how to decline invitations thoughtfully, professionally, and without burning bridges.

They share a simple, practical formula for saying no with kindness, discuss how to weigh shiny opportunities against your time and energy, and explore why short-term discomfort is often better than long-term resentment. Along the way, they talk about building your “no muscle,” creating opportunities for others, and why toddlers might secretly be the best role models for boundary-setting.

If you’re feeling over-committed, stretched too thin, or struggling to turn things down, listen now!

You can find more great advice here:

• https://www.science.org/content/article/learn-when-and-how-say-no-your-professional-life
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/202312/afraid-of-saying-no-to-an-invitation-dont-be
• https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/the-graceful-art-of-saying-no/11563272

This week we’re thrilled to be joined by long-time friend of the podcast Dr Tullio Rossi - we first chatted with Tullio way back in Season 6 (you can listen to that interview here). Tullio is an award-winning science communicator, marine biologist, and graphic designer. As the founder of Animate Your Science, he has trained over 7,000 researchers across 59 countries to tell their stories to the world. Recently, Tullio has dived deep into the AI revolution, and he’s here to share how we can use these tools to boost their productivity and amplify their impact.

You can follow Tullio and learn more about his work here: 

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/tulliorossi/

• https://www.animateyour.science/

• https://www.animateyour.science/ai-for-researchers-course

• https://www.animateyour.science/training/ai-for-grant-writing

Subscribe to our podcast newsletter, The ChitChat: https://mailchi.mp/06154eb97b24/welcome-to-lets-talk-scicomm

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/db62

What if the people closest to you just don’t “get” what you do? How do you talk about your work or studies without sounding defensive, boring, or awkward?

In this episode of Listen to This If…., Jen and Michael tackle a common but rarely discussed challenge: when your family doesn’t understand your passion for science, study, or work.

They each share a practical tip for navigating these conversations, from finding better ways to involve family members, to reframing the conversation around why your work matters to you rather than the technical details. Along the way, they reflect on motivation, identity, and the value of reconnecting with your own sense of purpose.

In just 5 minutes, you’ll hear:

• Why “it’s complicated” can shut down meaningful conversations

• The power of explaining why you do what you do, not just what you do

• How reconnecting with your own motivation can lift a slump

An episode for anyone who’s ever felt misunderstood or struggled to explain why their work really matters to them.

You can find more great advice here:

• https://pcur.princeton.edu/2019/11/why-you-should-talk-to-your-friends-about-your-research/

• https://www.academictransfer.com/en/blog/explaining-the-value-of-your-science-to-friends-and-family/

• https://phdonewhatnext.com/all-posts/explaining-your-phd

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/tb62

This week we loved chatting with Bec Colless, who has 30+ years’ experience in science communication, research translation and IP commercialisation, public and stakeholder relations, education and marketing. She has enhanced the reputations, funding and impact of universities and research organisations, innovative businesses – including her own travelling science show – government agencies, non-profits, museums and schools. 

Drawing on her decades of experience across science, journalism, government, industry and education, Bec shares practical advice on research impact, persuasive writing, value propositions and storytelling and why great communication always starts with empathy for your audience. From grant writing and credibility to Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the hero’s journey, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for researchers at every career stage. 

You can follow Bec and learn more about her work here: 

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-colless/ 

Subscribe to our podcast newsletter, The ChitChat: https://mailchi.mp/06154eb97b24/welcome-to-lets-talk-scicomm

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/mb62

Struggling to grab your audience’s attention? In this week’s episode, Jen and Michael break down exactly what makes a killer headline - one that cuts through the noise, hooks your reader instantly, and sets up your story for impact.

In just five minutes, you’ll learn:

• Why your headline matters more than you think

• The science of what makes people stop scrolling

• Simple, repeatable headline formulas you can use today

• How to avoid the common traps that make headlines fall flat

• Ways to tailor your headline to different audiences without losing clarity

Whether you’re writing a journal article title, a grant application, or a social media post, these tips will help you craft headlines that are bold, clear, and irresistible.

You can find more great advice here:

• https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/08/readers-prefer-to-click-on-a-clear-simple-headline-like-this-one/

• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00771-3

• https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2024/06/msu-research-what-makes-a-good-headline

• https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn2555

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/vb62

This week we were thrilled to chat with Dr Véronique Paris who is a medical entomologist studying Australian vector mosquitoes in the Pest & Environmental Adaptation Research Group at Melbourne Uni. Originally from Berlin, Véronique completed her BSc and MSc in Biology, specialising in ecological immunology and exploring how insect immune systems respond to infections. Before pursuing a scientific career, she completed an apprenticeship at the Berlin Zoo, a time when she was unsure if going to university was the right path for her. Ultimately she discovered a passion for research and went on to pursue higher education. Véronique is also passionate about science communication, contributing to Pursuit, writing blog posts, and sharing her research widely on social media. Recently, the Let’s Talk SciComm team was over the moon to share the University of Melbourne School of BioSciences Excellence in Community Engagement with Véronique! 

You can follow Véronique and learn more about her work here: 

• https://www.instagram.com/mozzienique/

• https://bsky.app/profile/mozzienique.bsky.social

• https://www.tiktok.com/@vroniqueparis6

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/v%C3%A9ronique-paris-bb25a1255/

• https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/individuals/veronique-paris

• https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/23/mosquito-borne-disease-fight-researcher-bare-arm

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/an62

If you’ve just been hit with negative feedback, you’re probably feeling a bit winded, and that’s completely normal. Whether it came from a colleague, a supervisor, an examiner, or even a friend, criticism can sting.

Take five minutes to hear Jen and Michael share practical, compassionate advice on how to regain your confidence and transform tough feedback into something constructive and empowering.

You can find more great advice here:

• https://theconversation.com/negative-feedback-is-part-of-academia-and-life-these-6-strategies-can-help-you-cope-190069

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-handle-negative-feedback-recover-like-pro-may-busch/

• https://wwmr.us/support/NegativeFeedback.pdf

Subscribe to our podcast newsletter, The ChitChat: https://letstalkscicomm.my.canva.site

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/6ba2

Welcome to Season 16 of Let’s Talk SciComm. We are thrilled to be launching our next season and have a great selection of episodes in store for you to enjoy during the rest of 2025.

We can’t think of any better way to launch the season than a conversation with Dr Phil Dooley. Phil is an extremely talented science communicator who wears many hats: he’s a science writer, presenter, comedian, performer, musician, video-maker and trainer. He's worked on YouTube videos that got hundreds of thousands of hits, tweets that saw millions of impressions, press releases that went international, school workshops for thousands of students and science pub nights that had crowds cheering for more.

Phil has a PhD in laser physics and is National President of Australian Science Communicators. Phil Up On Science partners and clients have included Australian Institute of Physics, Academy of Science, Australian Society for Medical Research, Inspiring Australia, National Science Week, Cosmos Magazine, Nature Publishing Group, Geosciences Australia, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, University of Adelaide, Flinders University, UniSA, Sustainable Stand Up and more.

You’re going to love hearing about Phil’s creative and dynamic approach to sharing science with a whole heap of different audiences. 

You can follow Phil and learn more about his work here: 

• https://philuponscience.com.au/ 

• https://www.youtube.com/philuponscience

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-dooley-0963366/ 

• https://bsky.app/profile/philuponscience.bsky.social 

• https://physics.anu.edu.au/news_events/news.php 

Subscribe to our podcast newsletter, The ChitChat: https://letstalkscicomm.my.canva.site

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/z6a2

Have you decided a PhD is the right thing for you? Congratulations! Now it’s time to make decisions about what you’re going to spend the next three of four years learning, thinking, reading and writing about.

Take a break for 5 minutes and listen to Jen and Michael’s thoughts about what you need to take into account when deciding what you’re going to do your PhD on. 

You can find more great advice here:

• https://study.uq.edu.au/stories/how-to-decide-phd-topic

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIk5cshQfKg

• https://thesiswhisperer.com/2010/10/13/5-ways-to-know-you-have-the-right-thesis-topic/ 

Subscribe to our podcast newsletter, The ChitChat: https://letstalkscicomm.my.canva.site

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/42n2

This week we have the great pleasure of speaking with Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, a neuroscientist based in Melbourne, Australia, and the author of The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death. 

Ariel is currently a Research Fellow at Monash University - working with the Monash Neuroscience of Consciousness laboratory - where he investigates novel methods for characterising the nature of conscious experiences to aid in the ongoing quest to understand the neural basis of consciousness. Before that, Ariel obtained his PhD from The University of Melbourne in 2019, where he researched the mechanisms by which genetic and environmental factors affect cognition in healthy and diseased brains. He has published widely across the field of cognitive neuroscience, from the decline, preservation and rescue of cognitive function at different stages of the lifespan, through to characterising people's conscious experience of colour.

As an author, Ariel describes how recent neuroscientific advances may enable the suspension of death through brain preservation, potentially offering the dying the chance of future revival (while also exploring the medical, neuroscientific, and philosophical background required to understand this seemingly absurd claim).

You can find out more about Ariel and his work here: 

• https://www.arielzj.com/ 

• https://www.arielzj.com/the-future-loves-you 

• https://preservinghope.substack.com/ 

• https://x.com/ariel_zj

• https://bsky.app/profile/arielzj.bsky.social 

• https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=kREqIeKKQMgC

• You can watch the interview between Ariel and Jen at The Wheeler Centre here: https://www.wheelercentre.com/news-stories/2025/watch-how-to-live-forever 

Subscribe to our podcast newsletter, The ChitChat: https://letstalkscicomm.my.canva.site

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/5b62