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Let's Talk SciComm

Unimelb SciComm
Let's Talk SciComm
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  • 111. Interview with early career scientist and science communicator Dr Kira Hughes
    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.etsahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GHChZzcOpkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Go5tA6758https://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-lifehttps://youtu.be/rzKgb2FHv0Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R4jctjTGnI&list=PLeEQNZMTnnINcTA_lWJBqiTkla2qJnv5H&index=9Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/yd3p
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  • 110. Listen To This If You’re Preparing a 3MT talk
    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.pdfhttps://www.animateyour.science/post/how-to-write-a-winning-3mt-scripthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ViDaRJkay4Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/od3p
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  • 109. Interview with ‘Mother of Sharks’ Melissa Cristina Márquez
    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.comMelissa’s TEDx talks: Sharks & Female Scientists: More Alike than You Think and How your thoughts can protect sharkshttps://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-9780593753514https://www.amazon.com.au/Crocodile-Survival-Melissa-Cristina-M%C3%A1rquez/dp/1338635050https://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
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  • 108. Listen To This If… You need to write about a topic that’s been done to death
    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-bloggershttps://royalsociety.org/blog/2017/08/writing-popular-science-as-a-scientist/Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/j2kp
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  • 107. Listen To This If… You need to work effectively in a group
    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-groupshttps://learningcenters.rutgers.edu/resources/guide-working-groupshttps://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-memberTranscript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/r2kp
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About Let's Talk SciComm

Hosted by Associate Professor Jen Martin and Dr Michael Wheeler, Let’s Talk SciComm is a podcast from the University of Melbourne’s Science Communication Teaching Program. Listen for advice, tips and interviews about how to communicate science in effective and engaging ways. Show notes, transcripts and more info: https://science.unimelb.edu.au/engage/lets-talk-scicomm-podcast
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