VESKI in the Community
Lectures/Conferences
Women in Research - Achieving it all
Work-life balance a Nobel cause
More than 800 people attended the recent 'Women in Research' forum, hearing from an expert panel on the challenges and opportunities for women juggling their personal life with a career in research.
The audience, which included students from nine different secondary schools as well as members of the local community and research sector, heard presentations from some of Australia's leading female researchers including Australia's first female Nobel Laureate Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, Federal Member for Chisholm Anna Burke, CSIRO chief executive officer Dr Megan Clark, Australian Research Council chief executive officer Professor Margaret Sheil and University of Melbourne chief executive officer Professor Sharon Bell.
Avila College students with Professor Blackburn
In her keynote lecture Professor Blackburn highlighted the shift in the number of women studying in her field, which has increased dramatically over the past few decades. She said after the postdoctoral period, this figure decreased as some women opt out of a research career.
"Now we realise that there are other forces at work here and we know they are very general to a lot of different professions," Professor Blackburn said.
"Women must think very seriously about the implications of having a family and a career and how to juggle both. The science isn't so daunting. It's the structures that become daunting."
Discussions that followed looked at ways to assist and support women in rewarding research careers while leading fulfilling family lives, rather than having to make a choice between their personal and professional lives.
Monash Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish told the forum that there were currently 1683 female researchers working at Monash.
"It is a huge powerhouse of innovation and creativity and it is important we as an institution do all we can to support their aspirations," Professor Cornish said.
Courtesy of MonashMemo - Monash University
Malaria in Melbourne 2009
Renowned malaria researcher, Professor Balbir Singh, was guest speaker at the Malaria in Melbourne 2009 conference, held at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute on 26- 27 October .
VESKI proudly sponsored Prof. Singh’s visit to Australia under the VESKI International Connections program which aims to bring world renowned scientists and leading edge researchers to Victoria,ultimately facilitating world class education and training through the sharing of knowledge and experience.
Prof. Singh, the Director of the Malaria Research Centre at the University Malaysia Sarawak, delivered the key note address on malaria control and eradication before a crowd of more than 150 Victorian malaria research scientists.
Prof. Singh’s current research is focused on the discovery of a fifth human malaria parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi, a known monkey malaria that has recently been linked to human malarial cases. Prof Singh and his wife Janet are attempting to understand the epidemiology of the parasite and trace human infection patterns across South East Asia.
Professor Balbir Singh
Malaria is responsible for approximately one million deaths annually, particularly in resource poor and tropical settings where mosquito vectors are able to thrive. The disease is characterized by initial infection of the liver, invasion of red blood cells and eventual dissemination to other vital organs such as the brain and lungs, leading to characteristic symptoms including intense fever, rigor and vomiting.
Melbourne is undoubtedly the major hub for Malaria research, with roughly 200 dedicated scientists from more than 40 laboratories working on the disease.
The conference focused on raising the profile of malaria research in Victoria, and a strong emphasis was placed on showcasing research conducted by emerging early-career scientists.
"The Malaria in Melbourne Conference 2009 was a huge success, enhancing networks between scientists working in the field of malaria research in Victoria, but also promoting future collaborations between the Malaysian and Melbourne scientific/malaria communities."
VESKI Innovation Fellow, Dr Alyssa Barry
VESKI Fellow and L'Oreal Fellow Collaborate
Indonesian biochemical engineer Dr Penia Kresnowati will spend two years from 2008 conducting stem-cell related research in Monash University's Department of Chemical Engineering after winning a prestigious UNESCO-L'Oreal Fellowship for Women in Science.
Dr Kresnowati will be working with VESKI Fellow Dr Gareth Forde at the University's Bio Engineering Laboratory (BEL), conducting research into the design of bioreactors for creating health products from stem cells. Dr Kresnowati presented a seminar on her research on the 4th of September 2008 to representatives from L’Oreal, VESKI, students and staff.
From left: VESKI Chief Executive Officer, Julia Page, VESKI Fellow, Dr Gareth Forde, Dr Penia Kresnowati, L'Oreal Corporate Communications Manager, Megan Ryan and L'Oreal Scientific Affairs Manager, Samantha Hass.
Dr Kresnowati was one of 15 young women from around the world awarded a fellowship, which are worth up to $40,000 and permit the winners to conduct research at a host organisation of their choice outside their home country.
Dr Kresnowati has lectured at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, and has finished research into optimising the production of bio-based products.
"In Monash I found a research group that conducts research in biotechnology from the engineering aspect,
which matches my interests very well."
"Monash University also provides an atmosphere that welcomes international researchers".
Dr Penia Kresnowati
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5th World Conference of Science Journalists
From the 16 – 20th April 2007, Melbourne hosted the 5th World Conference of Science Journalists. Lending our support, VESKI Fellows utilised the opportunity of over 400 visiting journalists to Victoria to highlight their Australian research outcomes in world first stories.
Representatives from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas built their network of contacts so they can report effectively on science and science issues in the 21st Century.
Highlights of the conference included:
Science: climate change, emerging diseases, quantum computing, polar science, and the future of nuclear energy.
Issues: fraud, balance, biasing of information and the challenges of reporting from within and outside emerging economies.
Workshops: reporting on clinical trials, dealing with risk, information management in a crisis, when to trust peer review, editing and creating journalism associations.
Participants included science editors from the Economist, Financial Times, Asahi Shinbun, the editors-in-chief of Nature and of Scientific American, senior reporters from BBC TV, radio and World Service, and some 50 journalists from developing and emerging countries.
The 5th World Conference of Science Journalists is an initiative of the World Federation of Science Journalists and the Australian Science Communicators.
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The Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures
Innovation: Everyone, Everyday, Everywhere
In 2005, the Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures brought together an exceptional range of scientists, philosophers, human rights activists, lawyers, IT gurus, poets and innovators from around the world to debate the role of innovation in contemporary society.
Over sixty speakers delivered 30 free lectures at venues in Melbourne, Outer Melbourne and regional centres from 29 April – 12 May.
VESKI Fellows Professor Marcus Pandy and Dr Gareth Forde kindly donated their time to contribute to the series. Their respective topics were The Prosthetic Revolution: Sport, Technology and the Paralympics; and Healthy Relations: Should Global Health be on the Foreign Affairs Agenda?
Both VESKI Fellows also took part in a schools seminars workshop series: A Collision of Unlike Minds. It gave them access to more than 250 Year 11 and 12 students and the opportunity to exchange ideas and thoughts with potential students for undergraduate courses.
The Alfred Deakin Series aimed to discuss and promote the contributions of society’s most creative and innovative individuals through a diverse range of topics including:
- Flights of Fantasy: An illustrated lecture/demonstration on the neurological dimensions of spontaneous creativity
- The Prosthetic Revolution: Sport, technology and the Paralympics
- Bush Medicine: Traditional knowledge, technologies and the vanishing wonders of ethnobotany - the case for sharing knowledge
- Dangerous Inventions: From landmines to dirty bombs
- Cybernetics and the Future
- Biodiversity, Water, Energy and Society: Towards a sustainable future
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RMIT Lecture Series
The Innovation Lecture series is a collaboration between RMIT University, Ernst & Young, the Department of Innovation, Industry & Regional Development and VESKI and aim to generate new ideas and foster a climate of innovation through exposure to a number of leading high profile expatriate Australians.
Other speakers in the series of lectures included: Chairman of the National Innovation Council David Miles; Head of Human Resources at Rio Tinto Karen Mcleod; Chief Scientist of Australia Dr Robin J Batterham; Chairman of Investec and Coca Cola Amatil David Gonski AO, Managing Director of CEOs Pty Ltd Dr Jonathon Spring and Vice President of Deutsche Bank Dr Andrew O’Brien.
Climate Adaptation – Investing in Landscape Change
Sustainability and Ethical Investing are matters that will affect us all in the future.
On Tuesday 24th September 2008 Mr Bob Welsh, CEO, VicSuper, spoke about sustainability and ethical investing as part of the RMIT Business Lecture Series.
VicSuper is one of the largest super funds in Australia and is committed to principles of sustainability. Bob Welsh is also a director of the Environment Protection Authority.
Mr Welsh spoke about how at the beginning of last century Sir Ronald East, founding Chairman of the former State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria, had a dream - to turn rivers into gold.
By developing one of the world’s largest gravity supplied irrigation systems Victoria has enjoyed the economic bounty provided by irrigated agriculture. In 2008 it is estimated to be worth in excess of $3 billion to the Victorian economy.
But along with the economic riches there have been challenges. Environmental damage, in particular rising salinity and the impact of reduced environmental flows in our northern rivers, unevenness in farming talent, high cost of water infrastructure maintenance, inflexibility in water allocations and of late an ageing workforce to name a few.
And now the most prolonged drought in recorded history influenced if not directly caused by a warming planet.
Is there no sustainable future for this landscape or is there an opportunity, through innovation and application of patient investment capital, to reshape the landscape bringing economic, environmental and social benefits?
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Taking Ideas and Turning Them into Reality
VESKI Board Member Ms Janine Kirk AM, Lead Partner - Ernst & Young, was the guest speaker at the RMIT Innovation Lecture Series: Ideas Venture Capitalist - taking ideas and turning them into reality, held on the 14 May 2007 at Ernst & Young.
Accompanied by Mr Tim Murphy, CEO - BioMelbourne Network, the lecture explored the establishment of the BioMelbourne Network and took the audience on the journey from how biotechnology was identified as an important opportunity for Melbourne, to how the BioMelbourne Network came into being, and the story so far.
Both Ms Kirk and Mr Murphy painted an excellent picture of government, academia and the private sector working together to achieve innovative outcomes for Victoria.
 
Guest Presenters: Ms Janine Kirk, Lead Partner, Ernst & Young and Mr Tim Murphy, CEO, BioMelbourne Network.
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VESKI Innovation Fellow Professor Holmes Key Note Speaker at RMIT Business Lectures
Inaugural VESKI Fellow Professor Andrew Holmes was one of the leading expatriate Victorians who took part in the RMIT Business Lectures on ideas and innovation in 2005. Professor Holmes spoke about the evolution of his findings in light emitting plastics in Cambridge, his early patent filing and his company being launched on the NASDAQ.
He then discussed the opportunities for this type of technology transfer to Australia, and his work at the Bio21 Institute in Melbourne and with CSIRO Molecular Science, where he continues to explore multidisciplinary problems at the interface of materials chemistry and biology.
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