The Science in Public team

Directors: Niall Byrne and Sarah Brooker

Niall Byrne

Niall is a science writer and publicist based in Melbourne. The focus of his work is helping scientists bring their work into the public space through the media, events and festivals. He also guides science organisations in the development of communication strategies to reach their stakeholders, customers and the public.

Some highlights of his work include:

• a parliamentary forum on biosecurity (September 2008)
• conference director, 5th World Conference of Science Journalists, Melbourne 2007
• story-telling and publicity for the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes (2004 to 2008), for the Eureka Prizes (2003-2006) and the Clunies Ross Foundation (1998-2004);
• science communications advice and media relations for the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation (2006-2007);
• development and management of the Fresh Science program (1998-);
• a series of supplements for Nature (2003 to 2006);
• re-building the public profile of CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (1988-1998);
• CSIRO’s communication response to disease emergencies such as equine morbillivirus, bat lyssavirus and pilchard deaths;
• CSIRO’s communication response to the escape of rabbit calicivirus from Wardang Island.

Brought up in Hadleigh, Suffolk in the UK, Niall completed a biology degree at Durham University before running away to the Antipodes.

Sarah Brooker

Sarah is a science communicator and event manager. She develops and delivers communication strategies for science organisations, manages science projects and events and provides media and presentation training.

With a background in biochemistry and genetics, Sarah moved into science communication by joining the science circus and completing a graduate diploma in science communication through ANU.

She went on to assist Biotechnology Australia establish the Gene Technology Information Service, a national enquiry centre on biotechnology and gene technology.

Familiar with the science, issues and public attitudes to do with biotechnology, she has presented widely to audiences including farmers, teachers, students, government groups and at international conferences.

Her freelance projects have taken her through Canberra to work on Science meets Parliament and 50th anniversary celebrations for the Australian Academy of Science; up to Queensland to develop and design a travelling biotechnology exhibition and across to China to extract DNA from bananas in a shopping centre.

Sarah was the Executive Officer for the 5th World Conference of Science Journalists which was held in Melbourne in April 2007.

She is now the managing director of Science in Public and coordinates the national Fresh Science program which publicises the work of early-career scientists.

Tim Thwaites

Tim is a freelance science writer and broadcaster who specialises in putting science, medicine and engineering into everyday language.

He has 30 years experience of writing, editing, sub-editing, teaching and broadcasting in Australia and overseas.

After a degree and graduate work in zoology, including several years in Canada, he trained and worked as a journalist at The Age. He has since written and subedited for newspapers, newsletters and magazines both nationally and internationally, and has also worked for universities, government departments, research institutes, private companies and professional organisations producing news stories and features, writing background material and press releases, editing publications, and organising publicity. Tim has been heard regularly on radio.

As a foundation member of Australian Science Communicators, he was national president from December 2007 to December 2009. He was also first editor of its newsletter, acted as co-chair of the program committee for the 5^th World Conference of Science Journalists in Melbourne in 2007, was convenor of its National Conference in February 2010, and is a member of the committee which for the past 13 years has organised Fresh Science, the national competition for early career researchers.

Tim has also taught non-fiction writing at La Trobe University.

Margie Beilharz

Margie is a Melbourne-based science communicator who has been working with Science in Public since 2008.

Margie has a PhD in Zoology and has worked for the Victorian government in Wetland Policy. She lectured in Environmental Management at Deakin University for nine years before taking a family break, which included a couple of years living in London.  In 2009 Margie completed a postgraduate certificate in Technical Communication from Swinburne University.

Melissa Trudinger

Melissa is a Melbourne-based science journalist and communicator. She assists Science in Public across their portfolio of work, in particular the L’Oréal Australia For Women in Science Fellowship program, and anything vaguely biotechnology-related.

Melissa has a background in immunology and molecular biology research and worked in the US biotechnology industry in a variety of roles for 7 years before returning to Australia to become the Science Editor for Australian Biotechnology News from its debut in 2002 until 2005.

She has a post-graduate diploma in Science Communication and was Co-Chair of the Program Committee for the 5th World Conference of Science Journalists, which was held in Melbourne in April 2007.

AJ Epstein

AJ has been working in event management, marketing and science communication for the past six years. He assists Science in Public across their portfolio of work as operations manager.

He’s particularly enjoyed managing the media program for the International  Botanical Congress as well as driving the Fresh Science and L’Oréal programs in 2011.

AJ previously worked for COSMOS Magazine as a marketing and advertising executive.

AJ grew up on Flinders Island, in the Bass Straight, where he developed a passion for science and learning while helping his father who worked as a vet on the island. AJ still likes to head back there each year to spear a fish, throw a fleece and relax.

AJ has a great interest in all aspects of science and communication. In his spare time, he is learning Spanish, French and kung-fu.

Andrew Wight

Andrew is a science writer  from Queensland, now based in Melbourne, Australia. With degrees in molecular biology and journalism, Andrew’s work has taken him from general newsrooms covering the science beat to 80 metres under the Swiss countryside writing about the Large Hadron Collider.

For Science in Public, Andrew writes everything from Tweets to features, handles social media strategies and administers the Science in Public website.

Outside of science communication, Andrew is a prize-winning salsa dancer. He is also on Twitter: @ligaze