Women in Science

Dr Meagan Carney works with chaos and extremes.

As a mathematician, Meagan specialises in using machine learning to predict rare events — from hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico to temperature extremes in Germany and Texas, all the way to bacterial infections in patients with COVID-19.

At the heart of Meagan’s work is using mathematics and machine learning to make informed decisions, and navigate our increasingly complex, chaotic, dynamic world.

Read more about Meagan's work: https://smp.uq.edu.au/profile/11136/meagan-carney

Hemanshi Galaiya is a PhD student by day and a trailblazing entrepreneur by night.

In this episode, Kirsty chats with Hemanshi about her inspiring journey from her childhood in Kenya to founding a transformative STEM education initiative, Young Stripes, to address educational inequities.

Hemanshi shares stories from her early life, where a lack of resources fueled her creativity and love for science. Despite limited practical exposure, her curiosity drove her to pursue a degree in chemical engineering in the UK.

Now balancing a PhD in Australia and managing her organisation remotely, Hemanshi discusses the future of Young Stripes and her dream of establishing Kenya’s first science museum.

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Read more about Hemanshi’s work: https://aibn.uq.edu.au/article/2023/09/hemanshi-galaiya-stem-kids-synthetic-bio-and-building-future-kenya

Associate Professor Marnee Shay is a researcher in Education, specializing in Indigenous education, policy studies, flexi schooling and youth studies. Today, she reflects on her own experience in the Australian education system and the pivotal moments that led her from youth work to academia.

Marnee and Kirsty also talk about non-conventional approaches to data collection, preserving Indigenous languages in Wakka Wakka country, and the importance of effecting policy change through research.

And you’ll hear about the critical importance of research collaboration across STEM fields and the social sciences.

This episode was recorded on Jaggera and Turrbal Country.

Donate now to support future episodes of Women in Science: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/women-in-science-podcast

Read more about Marnee’s research: https://education.uq.edu.au/profile/2069/marnee-shay

Professor Alison Van Eenennaam works in co-operative extension, translating agricultural research into education and practical action.

Alison grew up in Melbourne, Australia, but was working in California when the Flavr Saver tomato became the first commercially grown GMO food to be approved for human consumption. She quickly found herself immersed in the world of biotechnology and agricultural science.

In this conversation, Alison and Kirsty talk about GMO foods, bringing the science of universities into farming operations, the value of science outreach to communicate facts, not fear, for controversial research, and the future of genomics in cattle production to optimise genetic gain in breeding programs.

Read more about Alison’s work: https://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/alison-van-eenennaam

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In this bite-sized episode of Women in Science, Professor Mary Garson tells us about starting the Global Women’s Breakfast. Mary talks about the event’s humble beginning in 2009, bringing together women in chemistry from all around the world. In 2024, the breakfast will be held across more than 350 events in 70 countries.

Mary was one of Women in Science’s first guests in season one – you can hear her full journey through a science career here: https://shorturl.at/vwBKT

You can find out more about the IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast at https://iupac.org/

You can also donate to our Women in Science podcast to help us continue to the stories of extraordinary women working across many different sciences at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/women-in-science-podcast

Dr Natalie Collins has always loved sport and exercise. It was in high school that science and physical education came together to form her passion for the human side of biology, evolving into a career in physiotherapy. These days, Natalie specialises in sports physiotherapy and research into knee pain across the lifespan. Her research examines the relationship between knee pain in early life and kneecap osteoarthritis and arthritis later in life. Her hope is to change this trajectory through early interventions, overhauling the continuum of pain as we age.

In this conversation, Natalie talks about her study pathway into physiotherapy, fitting into a research group as a new researcher, the close relationship between research and research translation in with her patients, and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration.

Read more about Dr Natalie Collins’ research: https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/12040

This series is made possible by the contribution from Professor Aideen McInerney-Leo

Professor Sarah Robertson’s work unravels the mysteries of the immune system's role in reproductive health. Sarah charts her journey in science from stargazing as a child before exploring chemistry and physics, moving into biochemistry and immunology for her career. In this episode, Sarah and Kirsty talk about the science of being a parent, and being a parent working in science.

Read more about Professor Robertson's work: https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/sarah.robertson

This series is made possible by the contribution from Professor Aideen McInerney-Leo

A case of lupus in her childhood was the catalyst of Professor Joanne Blanchfield’s career in science. It was Joanne’s doctors who guided her away from a career in medicine, and towards one in research.

Through her career, Joanne has worked with Indigenous Australian communities on investigating the chemistry of natural medicines, taken on a number of post-doctoral positions, including Johns Hopkins University in the United States, the Australian National University in Canberra, and now works as a Deputy Head of School in the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences at UQ.

It was after a life-threatening medical incident, Joanne realised the critical importance of building a strong, trusted network. It was a lesson in perspective, and acknowledging that even with setbacks, your career will still be there when you get back.

In this conversation, Joanne talks about taking on leadership roles as early as possible in your academic journey, the importance of travel for career development, and making yourself competitive as – through your research and good academic citizenship.

Donate now to support future episodes of Women in Science: www.justgiving.com/campaign/women-in-science-podcast

Read more about Joanne’s research: https://scmb.uq.edu.au/profile/33/joanne-blanchfield

Season 3 of Women in Science has been made possible with the generous support of Professor Aideen McInerney-Leo.

Dr Aideen McInerney-Leo always had a curiosity about science, and it was a babysitting gig in her teenage years that opened up the world of genetics. While studying her undergraduate in London, Aideen went for a walk past one of the world’s leading children’s hospital. A cold call to the hospital switchboard and a letter to the head of clinical genetics department led to an incredible career that has taken Aideen around the world, from London to the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins in the United States, and then to Australia, working at the now-Fraser Institute at The University of Queensland.

As a genetics counsellor, Aideen’s role covers the practicalities of screening, surveillance, and testing, and the psychology of grief, burden, and guilt associated with inherited diseases.

Donate now to support future episodes of Women in Science: www.justgiving.com/campaign/women-in-science-podcast

Read more about Aideen’s research: https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/23291

Season 3 of Women in Science has been made possible with the generous support of Professor Aideen McInerney-Leo.

Professor Ala Tabor spent nearly two decades working in primary industries with the Queensland Government before making the move into academia at The University of Queensland in 2010.

Ala specialises in cattle tick, paralysis ticks (and the diseases they cause) and reproductive diseases in cattle, but when she started at university, Ala didn’t even know parasitology was an option. In this conversation, Ala talks about carving out your own research niche, the importance of building your network of mentors and sponsors, making the transition from government to academia, and the secrets to grant applications (having received more than $12 million in grants for her own research over the past decade).

Donate now to support future episodes of Women in Science: www.justgiving.com/campaign/women-in-science-podcast

Read more about Ala’s research: https://qaafi.uq.edu.au/profile/492/ala-tabor

Season 3 of Women in Science has been made possible with the generous support of Professor Aideen McInerney-Leo.