Let's Talk SciComm

This week we were thrilled to chat with the wonderfully interdisciplinary Dr Paul Mason: anthropologist, neuroscientist, medical researcher, and inventor of a dung beetle board game. Paul cheerfully describes his own CV as looking "like a pizza with the lot" (with, somehow, even the pineapple on there). Paul is also a musician, dancer and capoeira practitioner who began his studies wanting to get into brain research, before realisi...

"I'm happy to talk to different audiences, but I don't want to dumb down my research."

It's a phrase Jen and Michael both quietly dread and in this short episode, they dig into why it rubs them the wrong way. The problem isn't wanting to stay accurate; it's the assumption baked into "dumbing down" that your audience isn't intelligent. Jen and Michael reframe the whole challenge: it's not about simplifying your ideas, it's about simp...

Have you ever met an astrometallurgist? Neither had we, until we had the great pleasure of chatting with Dr Matt Shaw on this week's episode!

Matt's career genuinely sounds like it was pulled straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel, but it's very much grounded in real, cutting-edge science. He began as a metallurgist in the mining industry - extracting metals like gold from rocks, or as he describes it, "basically Minecraft, but i...

Ever feel like you don't quite belong, or that everyone around you knows what they're doing while you're just hoping no one finds out that you don’t? In this season’s first Listen To This Episode, Jen and Michael talk honestly about the imposter experience at work: why feeling like a bit of a fraud is more normal (and more useful) than you might think, and how to keep showing up anyway.

Sharing how you feel with friends,...

Welcome to a new season of Let’s Talk Scicomm - we’re thrilled to be back with you for Season 19! 

We can’t imagine a better way to launch the season than a chat with the brilliant Kirsty Costa, host and creator of the Weekend Birder Podcast. 

Weekend Birder is one of Australia’s most-loved science and nature podcasts, opening birdwatching up to anyone who’s curious. Kirsty works at the interse...

Email is essential, but it can also suck the life out of you. In this episode, Jen and Michael share their best advice for taming the inbox: write clear subject lines, put your call to action up front, and keep emails short so you reduce the cognitive load on the person reading.

They also discuss a brilliant piece of counterintuitive advice from Dr Jonathan O'Donnell: take longer to reply. Slowing down your responses to non-urgent e...

This week we were lucky enough to have an absolutely fascinating conversation with Dr Hannah Little. Hannah has been researching science communication for nearly 10 years, first as a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol and now in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Liverpool. Previously, she did her PhD in the field of evolutionary linguistics at the Artificial Intelligence Lab at the ...

Disagreements are part of life, and science communication. Whether you’re talking about vaccines, climate change, or just what counts as the best breakfast, navigating differing views can be tricky.

In this episode, Jen and Michael explore how to approach disagreement in a way that’s respectful, productive, and human. Rather than trying to “win” or change someone’s mind outright, they suggest focusing o...

This week we had the pleasure of chatting with Professor Deb Bower. Deb is a Professor of Zoology in the School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England, Australia. Her research focuses on the ecology, behaviour, and conservation of freshwater turtles. She investigates how altered river flows, invasive predators, and habitat modification influence turtle populations and population dynamics. Her work combi...

Question time can feel like the most unpredictable - and nerve-wracking - part of giving a talk. You’ve prepared your slides, rehearsed your key points… but what about the questions you can’t anticipate?

In this episode, Jen and Michael share practical strategies to help you approach Q&A with more confidence (and maybe even enjoyment).

They discuss why it’s okay not to have all the answers, how to respond...

In this weeks' episode we had a fascinating chat with Dr Tommy Leung who is a parasitologist interested in the ecological and evolutionary facets of parasitism. Their research covers a range of parasite-related topics including macroecological patterns of parasitism, parasite community composition, parasite-host interactions, and disease ecology. The aim of their research is to shed light on a ubiquitous but often overlooked aspect...

Being invited to speak with a journalist is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. In this episode, Jen and Michael chat about how to approach media interviews with confidence while staying in control of your message.

They emphasise the importance of knowing your key points before you begin, while also being prepared for conversations to take unexpected turns. Michael shares a “walking the dog” analogy to capture thi...

Welcome to Season 18 of Let’s Talk SciComm! 

We’re excited to be launching our new season with a fantastic conversation with scicomm guru Emma Donnelly. Emma is a science communication specialist, leadership trainer and coach with more than 25 years’ experience helping researchers and technical experts translate expertise into influence.

She is Manager of Inspiring Victoria at the Royal Society of Victoria, wor...

Everyone tells you networking is essential for your career. But what if the idea of walking into a room full of strangers and “working the room” makes you want to hide?

In this short episode, Jen and Michael unpack why networking can feel uncomfortable and how reframing what networking actually is can make it much easier.

Our key message: networking isn’t about collecting contacts or performing in crowded rooms. It&...

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Clancy Lester aka "Bee Man" - a nature lover and founder of Bees and Blossoms.

Through growing up on Yorta Yorta Country in regional Victoria, Clancy developed an early fascination with the natural world that later evolved into community-focused biodiversity education through social media and hands-on workshops.

His work empowers young people and communities to engage with local biodiver...

Everyone keeps telling you to “tell a story” about your research… but what if you genuinely can’t see one?

In this short episode, Jen and Michael tackle one of the most common (and quietly stressful) challenges in science communication: finding the story in your own work.

Their reassurance? If you’re looking for a story, you’re already on the right track.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why story =...

This week we spoke with Dr Chloe Lim who is a trained molecular biologist, professional balloon artist, and science communicator with over 20 years of experience in medical research and regulatory science. She is the founder of Twistyfic, where she merges science, storytelling, and balloon art to spark curiosity and inspire young minds through engaging STEAM shows and workshops. Chloe also runs Giggly Wiggly Balloons, delighting au...

Rejection hurts -  whether it’s a journal decision, a grant outcome, or yet another “unsuccessful” email landing in your inbox. In this short Listen to This If episode, Jen and Michael talk honestly about the emotional rollercoaster of academic rejection, why it’s not a reflection of your worth (or your work), and how to keep going when the disappointment hits hard.

They share practical strategies for ma...

This week we have a wonderful conversation with Tina Katsaros who is a PhD student at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, working under Dr Sarah Annesley and funded by ME Research UK. She is a cell biologist investigating abnormalities in mitochondrial function, metabolism and signalling in cells from people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). 

Beyond the lab, Tina also has a strong passio...