Did you know that eating a small amount of honey everyday can improve your gut health,
Zebra Finch embryos can hear their parents  and some native plants are pollinated by birds and mammals instead of bees?

These are some topics tackled FameLab which I was invited to attended in April in Western Australia.

Communicating science is not an easy task; as academics we have gone through years of education and training to become experts in a specific field. To explain our research to people without this background is tough but it is such an important and necessary skill to have. Good science communication allows us to explain to the public why our research is important, it is necessary to successfully apply for funding, and it enables us to make connections to further our career.

The rules of FameLab  were simple – we had to explain our research in only 3 minutes, without using any ‘jargon’ or slides to help us. The audience consisted of approximately 200 people that ranged from young children to grandparents, from people with no science background to academics with a wealth of knowledge. Our talk had to be clear, concise and informative yes, but most of all it had to be entertaining and engaging.

I spoke about my research on echidnas and how I am developing genetic tools for use in their conservation and captive breeding.
I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to represent the University of Adelaide. Not only did FameLab expose my research nation-wide but it introduced me to key people in both science communication and media.

I strongly encourage all PhD students and Early Career Researchers to enter FameLab. It is an incredible opportunity to share your research, improve your communication skills and create a lifelong network with amazing, passionate researchers from around Australia.

You can watch the Australian FameLab Final on Australia’s Science Channel