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Season 13
Sarah Firth (she/ her) is an artist, writer, cartoonist, graphic recorder and animator, originally trained as a classical sculptor.
This week it is a huge honour for us to speak with our long-time scicomm colleague Nancy Longnecker who is Emerita Professor of Science Communication at the University of Otago.
Rachael Vorwerk studied science communication with us many years ago and has gone on to forge an incredible career in the field.
This week we are lucky enough to chat with Linh Do, an incredible sustainability leader, educator, and climate justice advocate based in Melbourne, Australia.
This week we had the most wonderful conversation with wildlife scientist, woman in STEMM/STEAM, science communicator, author and vessel operator, Dr Vanessa Pirotta.
This week we had a fascinating conversation with speech pathologist and science communicator Dr Georgie Johnson.
It’s hard to believe this is the 99th episode of Let’s Talk SciComm! To celebrate, we invited the rest of our fabulous teaching team back to the podcast.
Three years later and we couldn’t be more excited to be sharing Episode 100 of Let’s Talk SciComm with you.
Season 12
We’re thrilled to launch an exciting new series of our podcast, ‘Listen To This If…’. Jen and Michael will deliver a speedy, five-minute Friday fix packed with practical hot tips to tackle your toughest science communication challenges.
Got an interview coming up? Don’t worry, Jen and Michael are here to help! In this five-minute episode, they’ll give advice to make sure you’re prepared for a perfect interview.
Over the word count on an assignment? It can be stressful trying to trim the writing you’ve put so much effort into. Luckily in this week’s episode, Jen and Michael have some handy tips to wriggle down those words while keeping your writing sharp and relevant to the task.
Doomscrolling getting in your way? Don’t worry! Jen and Michael have some great tips to break the scrolling cycle and get you back to your task.
Upcoming presentation got your palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy? Don’t worry, forget mum’s spaghetti, because we’re not going to let you miss your shot.
In this week’s episode of ‘Listen to This If…’ Jen and Michael explore how to grab your audience’s attention. In just five minutes Jen and Michael will discuss everything you need to know to turn heads and captivate your audience.
Season 11
Sara Phillips is an award-winning science writer and editor based in Melbourne, Australia. She edited the 2020, 10th-anniversary edition of the Best Australian Science Writing.
Dr Rachel Nowak is a consultant, an advisor, a scientist and a journalist. She has been working in science, technology and innovation on three continents.
Dr Jackson Ryan is a former molecular biologist and current freelance science journalist with a focus on long-form and narrative non-fiction science writing.
Tilly Boleyn (she/her) is the Head of Curatorial, Science Gallery Melbourne, University of Melbourne. Basically, she’s a massive nerd, curious about the world and everything in it.
Sara Garfield – a true expert in communicating about science in English as a non-native language.
Dr Catherine Richards Golini is a Healthcare Publications Editor at Karger Publishers, specialising in creating, developing, and editing resources for patients and HCPs,
David Crisante has had a career in journalism, political speechwriting – including for Australia’s Foreign Minister – and science communications.
We’re ending Season 11 with a fabulous conversation with climate change communicator Dr Simon Torok. Simon is CEO and Director of Scientell, a science communication company that seeks to maximise the impact of scientific information.
Season 10
With over 17 years of experience as a Managing Director at Dark Sky Traveller, Marnie has seamlessly combined a passion for astronomy, tourism, and conservation to curate unique and unforgettable experiences for travellers and communities alike.
Brian Lin oversees EurekAlert!, a non-profit news release distribution platform operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Milly is a qualified zoologist, pilot and illustrator of the children’s book, A Shorebird Flying Adventure.
This week we had a wonderful time speaking with Dr Jen Payne about her amazing initiative STEMpals.
Laura Bibiana Ospina-Rozo is a scientist who finds joy in tackling research questions in the field of biophotonics: where light and living matter interact.
Dr Craig Cormick OAM is the Creative Director of ThinkOutsideThe. He is one of Australia’s leading science communicators, with over 30 years’ experience working with agencies such as CSIRO, Questacon and Federal Government Departments.
Alicia Sometimes is a multi-award-winning poet and broadcaster who is deeply passionate about both art and science.
Brendon Bosworth is a communications specialist and science communication trainer who runs Human Element Communications.
Season 9
Dr Shane Huntington on episode 9 of Let’s Talk SciComm! Shane is the Chief Executive Officer of Little Big Steps; a charity helping kids with cancer.
Olly Dove is a marine ecology PhD candidate researching the foraging behaviour of little penguins and short-tailed shearwaters in lutruwita/Tasmania.
This week we had a fantastic chat with Dr Donovan Garcia-Ceron about how he got started in science communication and the things he’s doing to build his scicomm profile.
This week we had the great pleasure of speaking with Alfred Deakin Professor, Jo Salmon about the importance of effective science communication in research, especially when it comes to co-designed research.
With a PhD in Neuroscience, ~25 peer-reviewed publications, and a 5-year H-index of 16, Dr Sarah Treit combines a strong research track record with a passion for communicating science through visuals.
Jessie Panazzolo is the founder of Lonely Conservationists, a global online community working to help conservationists thrive by providing a platform to be heard, a strong community foundation and educational resources about caring for conservationists.
Professor John Besley studies public opinion about science and scientists’ opinions about the public.
This week, our conversation with Dr Samantha Grover, who leads the Soil-Atmosphere-Anthroposphere Lab at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
Season 8
We’re kicking off the season talking with the brilliant Julia Cleghorn about approaches to getting kids excited about science.
This week we have the enormous pleasure of speaking with Dr Jenny Gray who is the Chief Executive Officer of Zoos Victoria, charged with the operation of the Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, Kyabram Fauna Park and Werribee Open Range Zoo.
This week we had the best time chatting with Belinda (Bel) Smith, science writer extraordinaire!
This week we were so lucky to have the opportunity to chat with Professor David Dunstan about being a research supervisor.
This week we had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Bruce Kirchoff who is a scientist, improviser, and storyteller. He teaches young scientists to speak clearly and intelligibly about their research.
This week we were thrilled Executive Recruiter and Scientist Marilyn Jones was able to make time to chat with us.
This week we had the great pleasure of chatting with Joshua Tinner who is full of fantastic advice about how to build your professional networks.
This week we were thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Emily Denniss who is a PhD Candidate at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University.
Season 7
Welcome to Season 7: for something a bit different, we’re excited to be revisiting our 6 most listened-to episodes.
Listen for our thoughts and advice on how to plan, design and deliver a fantastic talk plus tips from two of our UniMelb SciComm alumni, Randy Mann and Stephanie Wong.
Jen and Michael chat about the Imposter Experience, better known as the Imposter Syndrome. Listen for our thoughts and advice on how to tackle feeling like an imposter plus tips from two of our UniMelb SciComm students, Stephanie Wong and Charlie Pattinson.
Listen for our thoughts and advice on how to be more engaging when communicating about science plus tips from two of our UniMelb SciComm students, Randy Mann and George Mechaalani.
We’re continuing our countdown of our most listened-to episodes and this week we’ve made it to number two. It came as no surprise to us that science writing is a topic so many of our listeners want to learn more about – being able to write clearly is such an essential skill!
Writing a thesis is hard! It’s probably the longest document you’ve ever had to write, and the experience is often accompanied by a tendency to procrastinate and feelings of overwhelm and imposterism.
Season 6
We’re launching Season Six with a bang, talking with Associate Professor Suzie Sheehy.
This week we were so fortunate to talk with Andrew Kelly, environmentalist, convenor of The Waterway Network, and former Yarra Riverkeeper.
Dr Jarrod McKenna is a reproductive biologist turned zookeeper turned science educator.
As founder of the science communication agency “Animate Your Science”, Dr Tullio Rossi helps researchers tell their story to the world.
This week we had an absolute blast speaking with Christian Williams, who is an expert teacher in Melbourne, Australia.
This week we talk with Dr Josh Chu-Tan who until recently was the Business Development Manager for the College of Health and Medicine (CHM) based in the ANU Office of Business Engagement and Commercialisation as well as a Research Fellow at JCSMR with the Clear Vision Research Group.
A fascinating conversation with Dr Graham Phillips focused on how to talk about controversial or divisive science topics – like aliens.
Nerves are a completely normal part of giving a talk and as you’ve probably heard many times – nerves are a good thing!
Season 5
Sue is a marine scientist, artist, children’s author/illustrator and graphic recorder who specialises in creative and visual communications.
Deakin University researchers Dr Helen Macpherson and Sara Dingle talk to us about the intersection of mental health and nutrition.
Researchers from Deakin University’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN): Associate Professor Megan Teychenne and Dr Niamh Mundell.
Dr Kylie Quinn is a Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow and leads the Ageing and Immunotherapies Group at RMIT University.
We chat to Dr Malini Devadas about all things writing.
Natalie is an ARC Future Fellow, the Associate Dean, Diversity and Inclusion in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences and leads the Therapeutics Discovery and Vascular Function in Pregnancy Group, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the University of Melbourne.
This week we absolutely loved talking with Isolde Gottwald (AKA Issie), an exchange student from the University of Vienna who spent semester 2 this year studying with us at the University of Melbourne.
Christine Burns (BA Psych, PG Dip Sport Bus Mngt, MIPPA) is the CEO and Co-Founder of WALT Institute.
Season 4
Professor in the School of BioSciences at the University of Melbourne and Domain Leader for Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology within the School.
Could crowdfunding be an appropriate way for researchers to raise funds for their work?
This week we’re thrilled to speak with one of the busiest (and most wonderful) scientists we know.
Whether virtual or in person, conferences are without question one of the best ways to meet people and hear about new work in your field.
This week it was our absolute honour to speak with Professor David Karoly, world-renowned climate scientist and climate science communicator.
Part 2 of our chat with climate scientist, Professor David Karoly.
This week it was our huge pleasure to speak with Emily King, currently undertaking her PhD at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.
We talk about another major barrier many of us experience to being able to do the work we care about: good mental health.
Season 3
Crossover episode with Amelia from Avid Research.
Dr Jessamyn A. Fairfield, a lecturer in the School of Physics at the National University of Ireland Galway, joins us.
This week Michael and Jen are joined by our wonderful colleague Catriona Nguyen-Robertson, who has had great success in a number of speaking competitions.
We chat with James McCaw, Professor of Mathematical Biology in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Melbourne.
Writing a thesis is hard! This episode will help!
Kate Cranney is a science communicator, scientist and visual artist. She combines these skills in her role as a Communications Advisor with CSIRO.
We pick Jonathan O’Donnell's brain about how to write a successful grant application.
This week, Jen and Michael were delighted to speak with Dr Michael Winlo.
We have a 5-way chat about the tips and tricks we’ve learned along the way about how to make time for the things that really matter to us.
Season 2
Our first guest for this season, Dr Shane Huntington OAM.
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘Publish or perish’. But what about the more recent maxim ‘Be visible or vanish’?
Dr Catherine Wheller has had a wonderfully diverse career and is currently the Communications Manager at the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF). She joins us this week.
Michael and Jen are joined by our wonderful UniMelbSciComm colleague Dr Linden Ashcroft to discuss why editing is such an important skill.
Doug Gimsey hopes that the images and information he shares will inspire people to stop, think, and treat the world more kindly.
Gone are the days of needing specialist, expensive equipment! But we can still all benefit from learning about how professionals approach making exciting, engaging videos.
This week we’re excited to introduce you to former science communication student, Amy LeBlanc.
This week Jen and Michael share their experiences of procrastination and evidence-based advice on how to stop.
Season 1
Welcome you to our new podcast called Let’s Talk SciComm.
We’re delighted to chat with Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation in Deakin University’s Centre for Integrative Ecology and the School of Life and Environmental Sciences in Melbourne, Australia.
This week Jen and Michael chat about the important topic of ‘How to NOT be boring’ when communicating about science.
Dr Linden Ashcroft joins us, a lecturer in climate science and science communication at the University of Melbourne and a proud member of the UniMelbSciComm teaching team.
All scientists need to give talks but being able to give a brilliant talk takes skill. Are you wondering how to best keep your audience’s attention?
In this episode, we’re delighted to speak with Dr Graham Phillips, a very familiar – and much loved – Australian science communicator and journalist.
Michael and Jen chat about why science writing can be so hard to read and different approaches to improve clarity and readability.
We introduce you to Catriona Nguyen-Robertson who is a singing scientist: she sings in the laboratory and dreams up immunology experiments in the shower.
Listen for our thoughts and advice on how to tackle feeling like an imposter.
Acknowledgements
Production Team: Stephanie Wong and Steven Tang
Logo design: Chris Evans
Sound effects: Organ Boogie by JuliusH, Flavour by Wataboi, Jazz loop by FrankyBoomer, Inspiring and Energetic by UNIVERSFIELD
About the podcast
Listen to the trailer
Let's Talk SciComm co-founder and co-host
Associate Professor Jen Martin
Jen (@scidocmartin) spent many years working as a field ecologist until she decided the most useful thing she could contribute as a scientist was to teach other scientists how to be effective and engaging communicators. Jen founded and leads the University of Melbourne's acclaimed Science Communication Teaching Program and is deeply committed to helping scientists develop the skills they need to be visible, make connections and have impact. She also practises what she preaches: for almost 20 years she’s been talking about science each week on 3RRR radio, she writes for a variety of publications, hosts the Let’s Talk SciComm podcast and MCs events. Jen was named the 2019 Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication, is Ambassador for The Wilderness Society’s Nature Book Week and is a member of the Homeward Bound Faculty, a global leadership program for women and non-binary people in STEMM. She’s also a member of the Board at The Wilderness Society and the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. Jen’s first popular science book, ‘Why am I like this? The science behind your weirdest thoughts and habits’ was published by Hardie Grant in 2024.
Let's Talk SciComm co-founder and co-host
Dr Michael Wheeler
I am a Lecturer in Science Communication at the University of Melbourne. I coordinate and teach subjects that equip science students with a range of skills to better communicate their work to a variety of audiences. I am also the co-founder and co-host of the Let’s Talk SciComm podcast with A/Prof Jen Martin. The podcast aims to demystify effective communication for scientists and science students in Australia and overseas. I regularly run science communication workshops, speak at events, and judge science communication competitions. I also hold a joint appointment at Deakin University as an Executive Dean Health Research Fellow. My research focusses on understanding how physical activity and sedentary behaviour affect cardiovascular, cognitive, and metabolic function. My main area of expertise is in conducting clinical trial studies in this area, with a more recent focus on epidemiology, free living studies, and digital health.
Dr Graham Phillips
Graham began his career as a scientist, with a PhD in astrophysics, before moving into the media to communicate science. He is most well known for his many years as the host and a producer-reporter on ABC TV’s primetime science television programme Catalyst. But he has also been a regular science reporter and commentator on all the commercial television networks, including being a presenter on the international science and technology programme Beyond Tomorrow. He has written for every major newspaper in Australia, and has had regular science columns in a number of them. He has contributed to countless hours of science radio as both an interviewer and interviewee, and has presented and written podcast series, including an eight-part series on the search for extraterrestrial life for Amazon’s podcast arm Audible. He’s written documentaries, had four popular science books published and currently writes opinion pieces for the Sydney Morning Herald, talks on ABC radio about science, and is writing another book.
Dr Linden Ashcroft
Linden grew up in country Victoria on the lands of the Yorta Yorta people and teaches weather and climate science as well as science communication. When she’s not teaching people how to share their science with the world, Linden researches the past to help us prepare for the future. By exploring the climate of Australia using historical documents and weather observations, she combines her love of science and stories.
Linden’s career has spanned the academic, not-for-profit and government sectors, including a stint at the Bureau of Meteorology, managing a database of millions of citizen science observations from across Australia, and a postdoc in Spain. She is a National Council member of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, an editor of the peer-reviewed journal Climate of the Past, and regularly contributes to media discussions and community activities around climate change.
She has been recognised by many awards for her research and outreach work in climate change, including being selected as a 2019–2020 Science and Technology Australia Superstar of STEM, received the 2020 Australian and Meteorological Society Science Outreach award, and was selected as a Victorian Tall Poppy by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science in 2021 for her excellence in scientific research and outreach.
Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson
Dr Catriona Vi Nguyen-Robertson (she/her) is a singing scientist: she sings in the laboratory and contemplates science in the shower. After researching the immune system, she has become an award-winning science communicator.
She teaches the next generation of scientific researchers how to communicate their work to various audiences at the University of Melbourne. On the side, you can often catch her singing and dancing around Scienceworks, teaching science concepts to audiences of all ages.
Catriona is also the Executive Officer of the Inspiring Victoria Partnership Board, on the Queers in Science National Board, and is Chair of the National Science Week Victorian Coordinating Committee. She regularly engages with science outreach programs to engage the community in science, sharing science content on radio, online, and in schools.
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