[ASA] Science and Technology Australia's April Newsletter

[John O'Byrne]

The latest Newsletter from Science & Technology Australia.

Several ASA members went to the annual Science meets Parliament and further opportunities should occur in future.

You might also like to note the Keep it Clever  and  Respect Research campaigns described under 'Other Items of Interest'.

John

Presidents, please forward this to your members.
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MEMBER PROFILE

                             
Name and title: Dr Enzo Porrello, Research Fellow and Group Leader, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland

Discipline: Cardiac Regeneration

What lured you to science and/or technology in the first place? I have always had a fascination with the human body and medicine. When I was growing up, I thought that I would become a medical doctor. At some point, I realised that my insatiable thirst for knowledge and love of problem solving were probably better suited to a scientific career than a medical one.

What keeps you there? Nothing beats the thrill of discovery and the excitement that comes from pushing back the frontiers of human knowledge.

What makes science different to other careers? A scientific career affords you a degree of freedom that most others do not. I can't think of any other career where you have almost complete freedom to work on whatever interests you.

What would you tell a 10-year-old about a career in science and technology? Scientific careers are both challenging and extremely rewarding. If you are curious, enjoy problem solving, want to interact with some of the brightest minds and want to be part of something that can make a difference to the world, then you should consider a scientific career.

Have you a favourite career moment? We were recently involved in a documentary series on our work for the BBC and I got to meet Dr Roberta Bondar, a neurologist and Canada's first female astronaut. Dr Bondar shared her own personal photos of Earth from space with us, which was a truly spectacular experience.

Dear STA friend/member,
Greetings to all in the lead up to what looks like a challenging time for science, technology and research, as we approach both the release of the National Commission of Audit and the Federal Budget. As usual STA will be in the Federal Budget lock up and will bring you the details in a special edition newsletter on the night. We will also continue to voice your concerns in the lead up to and in the wake of these events.

Catriona Jackson
Chief Executive Officer
SmP 2014 wash up

A month has now passed since SmP 2014, and formal and informal feedback from delegates, parliamentarians and policy makers declared SmP 2014 an overwhelming success. The 14th SmP attracted 200 scientists from across the nation, and more than half the Federal Parliament, with 130 Federal Parliamentarians taking meetings and attending events.

For the first time all the sessions from day one are available on STA’s YouTube channel, to enjoy again, or to send to friends and colleagues. Check them out here HERE.

View the SmP 2014 photo albums here: day one at the National Gallery of Australia, the gala dinner, day two at Parliament House and the National Press Club lunch.

Thanks to all who supplied feedback, it is being collated and analysed, and will be used to inform the planning of SmP 2015, which will coincide with STA’s 30th anniversary!

Parliamentary Friends of Science

The cross-party Federal ‘friendship group’ was re-established at SmP, with a record number of members at 90 and counting, drawn from all sides of politics. STA will work closely with them as the year progresses, and take the best of Australian science into their workplace, Parliament House, keeping it high on the political and policy agenda. The first STA event for the Friends will take place in June, and will focus on one of the most exciting science and technology projects of this century, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope, with help from Nobel Laureate Professor Brian Schmidt, Professor Brian Boyle and Dr Naomi McClure-Griffiths.
Topical science forums

In 2014 STA will take the nation’s best scientists into the community to tackle the big issues. 10 Topical Science Forums will take place across Australia, on topics ranging from waning immunisation rates to the future of the Great Barrier Reef to the health impacts of climate change. Most will be public events, with panels of experts from academia, industry and the community, and plenty of time for audience questions and debate.

Keep your eye on STA’s website and Twitter and Facebook feeds for dates and topics as they are confirmed. We look forward to seeing you there.

For those who can’t make it to the events, they will all be filmed and presented on the STA YouTube channel. Looking back to the Big Bang – the SKA telescope’s unlimited potential is online HERE.

Other items of interest

Support the Keep it Clever campaign from Universities Australia READ MORE
Science prizes and awards: applications closing April/May 2014 READ MORE

Do you know about the Greens Respect Research initiative? READ MORE
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