Let's Talk SciComm

Feeling like you’ve lost your love of science? Wondering if you should be doing something different? Wishing you felt the same passion you used to feel for your study or work? 

Settle in for 5 minutes and listen to Jen and Michael’s top advice about how to rediscover your curiosity and feel motivated and excited about science again. 

You can find more great advice here:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPdg7hGaDJI

• https://medium.com/better-humans/how-to-rekindle-your-innate-curiosity-db4f55ca365a

• https://www.ifocusandwrite.com/post/how-to-get-your-motivation-back-as-a-scientist 

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

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/ob62

This week we had a fascinating chat with Troy Beer whose diverse experiences have led him from digital content creation to communication lead roles across multiple sectors: from environmental charities and health NGOs to government, universities, research centres and even retail. Each role has required him to work closely with stakeholders and subject-matter experts – interpreting complex information into compelling content for diverse audiences.

Troy says he has tried to work for places that make a difference, work with smart people who can teach him something and deliver creative work that in some way contributes to making positive change. Along the way he has seen the astoundingly complex work cancer researchers do, learnt how critical antibiotics are and how addictive nicotine is, seen threatened greater gliders fly from trees, stood heartbroken at the edge of forest destroyed for paper, plumbed the depths of fossil fuel follies, watched systems slowly change and been gently shown the insight 40,000 years in a place provides. He’s produced 1000s of webpages, a few apps, edited ideas and stories into real books and magazines, video and data into news, shorts and documentaries, plus kept asking people to care, to stop scrolling, and to think while on socials. 

His approach begins with understanding stakeholder needs, identifying key audiences and the challenges they face—then to work across teams to map outcomes and connections that deliver creative solutions. All the while monitoring metrics and engagement to improve what his teams  are trying to do: basically to tell a better story.

We’re sure you’ll enjoy listening to this conversation as much as we enjoyed having it! 

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

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

• https://wilderness.org.au/journal

• https://wilderness.org.au/iconic-places

• https://wilderness.org.au/environment-award-for-childrens-literature

• https://www.oceanaccounts.org/

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/t5zp

Our newsletter: https://letstalkscicomm.my.canva.site

Still thinking about a talk you gave that didn’t go as well as you’d hoped? Maybe you’re dreading your next talk as a result? In this episode we tackle the all-too-familiar challenge of bouncing back after giving a talk that didn’t go to plan. 

Take 5 minutes to hear our advice on being kind to yourself, treating mistakes with curiosity, and turning reflection into a concrete plan for next time. 

You can find more great advice here:

• https://medium.com/@Johndavidson1/the-6-best-ways-to-recover-from-giving-a-bad-presentation-9e5e92204888

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r6dqGHboes

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-recover-from-bad-presentation-jim-gray/

Newsletter: https://letstalkscicomm.my.canva.site

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/jq3p

This week we loved chatting with Dr Kira Hughes, an aerobiologist and award-winning science communicator who is passionate about helping other researchers learn how to effectively communicate their science and advocating for underrepresented groups in STEM.

Kira has over five years of experience in science communication. She's presented at several public events, ranging from international conferences to comedy shows, and has been interviewed as a scientific expert for news articles, radio shows, magazines, & podcasts. She has applied her science communication skillset through outreach ventures encouraging students to pursue careers in STEM, as well as coordinating research-focused content for marketing campaigns. Kira has received numerous awards in science communication, including the 2023 Deakin University Three Minute Thesis Runner-Up & People's Choice Winner. Due to her outstanding work in science communication, she was recently named a Superstar of STEM by Science & Technology Australia. Currently, Kira works as a Research Grants Officer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where she helps scientists effectively communicate their work to secure funding for important cancer research.

Kira is an expert in aerobiology: the study of airborne allergens like pollen & fungal spores. While completing her PhD with the NeuroAllergy Research Laboratory (NARL) at Deakin University, her research focused on understanding the underlying factors of thunderstorm asthma and developing better ways to monitor allergens. Kira also worked on developing an innovative real-time sensor that could detect airborne allergens in less than one hour, which is not only significantly quicker than current technology, but may serve as an effective real-time warning system for thunderstorm asthma to help save lives. Her research will help scientists learn more about how these events unfold and create better methods for predicting future asthma epidemics. 

You’ll love hearing about Kira’s passion for science communication and all the things she’s learned along the way over the past five years. 

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

• https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/profile/kira-hughes/

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kira-m-hughes/

• https://www.instagram.com/kira.etsa

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

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Go5tA6758

• https://www.theguardian.com/deakin-university--bold-ideas-with-impact/ng-interactive/2025/jan/21/suffer-from-asthma-or-allergies-a-tiny-gold-disc-could-save-your-life

• https://youtu.be/rzKgb2FHv0I

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R4jctjTGnI&list=PLeEQNZMTnnINcTA_lWJBqiTkla2qJnv5H&index=9

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/yd3p

So the time has come to really nail your 3MT talk? Perhaps you’ve progressed from your local final to a Grand Final? Congratulations!

Take five minutes to tune into Jen and Michael’s top tips on how to craft a winning Three Minute Thesis Talk!

You can find more great advice here:

• https://www.adelaide.edu.au/3mt/ua/media/745/3mt-tips-for-success-handout.pdf

• https://www.animateyour.science/post/how-to-write-a-winning-3mt-script

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ViDaRJkay4

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/od3p

Welcome to Season 15 of Let’s Talk SciComm. We’re so thrilled to be back with another season after a bit of a break.

To get the season off to a wonderful start, we’re VERY excited to chat with the incredible Melissa Cristina Márquez. Melissa, (AKA Mother of Sharks) is a bilingual Latina marine scientist, science communicator, and award-winning author currently pursuing her PhD. Melissa’s scientific research focuses on the ecology, conservation, and public perception of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays), with a particular interest in how science can inform more equitable conservation policies. She has worked with a range of species across the globe, from tiger sharks in the Bahamas to Greenland sharks in the Arctic fjords of Svalbard. In addition to her scientific work, Melissa is an internationally recognized science communicator dedicated to making science more inclusive, accessible, and engaging. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, and Forbes Science, where she is a regular contributor. She has appeared as a host and expert on programs for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, NatGeo, and Animal Planet, and is a TEDx speaker, with her talk “Sharks and Female Scientists: More Alike Than You Think” challenging stereotypes in science and media. 

Melissa is also a passionate author of children’s literature, including the middle-grade Wild Survival! series (published by Scholastic), Mother of Sharks and Sea of Constellations (both available in English and Spanish and published by Penguin Random House), as well as the forthcoming Leo's Lobo and Coral Keeper, and ocean-themed board books for babies and toddlers. Her stories combine adventure, education, and empowerment to encourage young readers — especially those from underrepresented communities! — to connect with nature and science. She also provides free, multilingual resources to educators and the public to foster greater understanding and appreciation of wildlife and nature. She has been invited to speak at global platforms such as the United Nations, the National Academy of Sciences, Oxford University, the University of Western Australia Global Leader Experience, and the National Science Policy Symposium. Through these avenues, she advocates for greater diversity in STEM, equitable conservation, and culturally relevant science communication. A proud Puerto Rican and Mexican woman in STEM, Melissa uses her voice to champion intersectional environmentalism, inspire the next generation of ocean advocates, and reframe the public narrative around sharks and the scientists who study them.

You will absolutely love hearing about Melissa’s incredible passion for sharing her work with diverse audiences. 

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

https://melissacmarquez.com

Melissa’s TEDx talks: Sharks & Female Scientists: More Alike than You Think and How your thoughts can protect sharks

https://www.instagram.com/melissacristinamarquez/

https://www.threads.com/@melissacristinamarquez 

https://www.facebook.com/MelissaCristinaMarquez/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacmarquez/ 

Selected writing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/

You can find Melissa’s books here:

• https://www.penguin.com.au/books/mother-of-sharks-9780593523582 

• https://www.penguin.com.au/books/sea-of-constellations-9780593753514

• https://www.amazon.com.au/Crocodile-Survival-Melissa-Cristina-M%C3%A1rquez/dp/1338635050

• https://www.amazon.com.au/Swimming-Survival-Melissa-Cristina-M%C3%A1rquez/dp/1338635085 

• https://www.amazon.com.au/Chasing-Jaguars-Wild-Survival-3/dp/1338635115 

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/nj3p

Are you working on a piece of writing and feel like everyone else has already written about the same thing? Are you looking for a way to make the topic fresh? 

Stop for 5 minutes and tune into Jen and Michael’s top tips on how to find a new approach to writing about a popular topic.

You can find more great advice on writing here:

• https://www.theopennotebook.com/2018/11/27/finding-the-science-in-any-story/ 

• https://www.fromthelabbench.com/from-the-lab-bench-science-blog/blogging-tips-for-science-bloggers-from-science-bloggers

• https://royalsociety.org/blog/2017/08/writing-popular-science-as-a-scientist/

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/j2kp

Have you got a group project coming up? Maybe you’ve had some bad experiences of working in a team before and you’re wondering how to make it better this time? Drop everything for 5 minutes and tune in. 

In this week’s episode, Jen and Michael share their top tips on how to work harmoniously and productively in a group. 

You can find more great advice here:

• https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/resources/communicating-in-class/communicating-with-peers/working-in-groups

• https://learningcenters.rutgers.edu/resources/guide-working-groups

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/key-working-effectively-team-akhil-aggarwal/

• https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/teamwork-skills-being-effective-group-member

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/r2kp

Have you lost your motivation? Do you need to get lots of things done, but you’re finding it hard to get started? Wondering how to get your mojo back?

Stop for five minutes and tune into this week’s episode of ‘Listen To This If….’ for Jen and Michael’s advice on how to rediscover your motivation. 

You can find more great advice here:

• https://jamesclear.com/motivation 

• https://www.ifocusandwrite.com/post/how-to-get-your-motivation-back-as-a-scientist 

• https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/level-up-your-motivation

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/click-here-for-happiness/202212/5-science-based-tips-to-boost-self-motivation

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/x2kp

Are you graduating soon, or have you recently graduated? Are you looking for ways to get ahead in your career? 

Take a five-minute break to listen to Jen and Michael’s top tips on how to kickstart your career.

You can find more great advice here:

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/networking-tips-early-career-scientists-lessons-from-science-tpfke/ 

• https://conductscience.com/10-networking-tips-to-kickstart-your-graduate-career/

• https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/12-networking-tips-for-students-who-want-to-get-the-best-jobs/

• https://cheekyscientist.com/networking-tips/

Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/jq8p