"Going after the unknown is always fascinating, I think. It becomes part of your life, this desire to know"

- Mark Oliphant

Brett Mason's book Wizards of Oz tells the story of Mark Oliphant and Howard Florey, who emerge as the two most consequential Australians of the Second World War - perhaps of all time. Childhood friends and University of Adelaide alumni, physicist Mark Oliphant and medical researcher Howard Florey initiated the three most significant scientific and industrial projects of the war. Manufacturing penicillin, developing microwave radar and building the atomic bomb gave the Allies the edge and ultimate victory over Germany and Japan. More than just a story of scientific discovery, Wizards of Oz tells a remarkable tale of secret missions, international intrigue, and triumph against all odds.

Facilitated by Brett Mason, this discussion will draw parallels of pandemic and disease control in the past and present day, inviting an esteemed panel of medical research professionals as they tackle pressing issues including pathogen resistance, pandemic response, and environmental threats. From battling antibiotic resistance to confronting the existential risk of climate change, we will discover innovative solutions that promise a healthier tomorrow.

100 copies of Brett Mason's book Wizards of Oz will be given away on a first-come-first-served basis. Brett will be available for signings after the session.

Panellists:

Dr Sarah Kidd is the Head of the National Mycology Reference Centre at SA Pathology, and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. She has worked in medical mycology for 25 years, from her Honour’s research and PhD at the University of Sydney, and postdoctoral studies in Vancouver, Canada. She is a Fellow of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology and the Australian Society for Microbiology. She was a recipient of the Howard Morris Quality Use of Pathology Award in 2023 and has authored more than 100 journal articles, books and chapters.

Dr Adriana Milazzo is an infectious disease epidemiologist and senior lecturer in the School of Public Health, with over 20 years’ experience in public health. Adriana has worked in remote indigenous communities delivering HIV education and primary health care services, and in communicable disease control and prevention. Her doctoral thesis investigated the relationship between heatwaves and incidence of foodborne disease with the findings contributing to heat-related foodborne disease prevention in the policy arena. Adriana’s research interest is in infectious disease epidemiology, climate change and health impacts and the operationalisation of One Health at the interface of human, animal and environmental health to ensure resilient, healthy, and equitable communities.

Dr Nadine Hillock is a public health pharmacist with expertise in antimicrobial resistance and the stewardship of antimicrobial use. She has over 25 years’ experience in healthcare across a variety of sectors including hospital, community, industry and government. Dr Hillock has a particular research interest in health policy and economics pertaining to antimicrobial access and use. Nadine was the Program Manager for the National Antimicrobial Utilisation Surveillance Program from 2019 to 2024, managing the surveillance of antimicrobial use in Australian hospitals. She has been a member of a number of national and state committees including the Australian Antimicrobial Stewardship Advisory Committee and the South Australian expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (SAAGAR). More recently Nadine has been involved with the development of the South Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan.

Brett Mason is Chair of the Council of the National Library of Australia and Adjunct Professor in the School of Justice at the Queensland University of Technology. He was formerly a Senator for Queensland and served in the Ministry, before being appointed Australia’s Ambassador to The Hague and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. He is the author of Privacy Without Principle and co-editor of Future Proofing Australia.