Being the 2018 Australian of the Year means Michelle Simmons has been significantly more in the spotlight recently. When she's not solicited by the media, Michelle leads a world-leading centre in advanced computer systems. She aims to build a quantum computer able to solve problems in minutes that would otherwise take thousands of years. Such a discovery has the potential to revolutionise drug design, weather forecasting, self-driving vehicles, artificial intelligence and more. Michelle talks about collaborating with industry and competing globally in the podcast.

In the podcast, Michelle also shares what helps her remain productive and juggle work and family. Like many women in academia, she is faced with challenges and setbacks but Michelle has a very inspiring approach to communication and making mistakes that certainly contributes to her success.

As a strong advocate for diversity, Michelle enjoys inspiring more women and girls to dream big and pursue science and quantum physics. In the podcast, Michelle reflects on mentoring women, building confidence and not holding back.