Queensland Science Communicators Network event - 28 November 2024

Agenda

• Welcome
• Networking - talk with someone you don't know (Online: Zoom will start 9.30 am for networking)
• Presentation and Q&A with A/Prof Michael Cowling [aka Professor Tech] – Engaging the hard-to-reach audiences
• QSCN - Member update - online and in the room
• Panel session focused on health and wellbeing with Dr Saman Khalesi, Prof Talitha Best and Dr Matthew Fernandez
• Close (Online: Zoom will close at 12.00 noon for networking)
• For those attending in-person - Short tour - Chiropractic, Sonography and Nursing facility and networking lunch

Associate Professor Michael Cowling has been a leader in educational technology and technology in society for over 20 years. He is currently an Associate Professor in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at CQUniversity Australia and was the 2020 recipient of the Universities Australia AAUT Award for Teaching Excellence (Physical Sciences). He founded The CREATE Lab, where he leads collaborative research and engagement around technology and education. He is an Advance Queensland Community Digital Champion, and an Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE) Community Fellow. Tens of thousands of academics, teachers, and students from kindergarten to doctoral level have learned directly and indirectly from him, through his award-winning workshop series ‘Weaving Technology into the Fabric of the Classroom’ training hundreds of educators, and his CSIRO-supported ‘Professor Tech’ program engaging hundreds of students in K-12 schools - all whilst delivering his mantra of 'pedagogy before technology'.

PANEL MEMBERS

Dr Saman Khalesi: Nutrition expert and 2022 Qld Young Tall Poppy Award recipient. He is Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead for Nutrition at the School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity. My research interests and publications are in diet misinformation, health literacy, cardiovascular management, gut bacteria, and physical and mental health. He is also the HealthWise Lab research group leader at the Appleton Institute, CQUniversity. My team empowers consumers to make informed health choices and combat health misinformation in diet, physical activity, and sleep.

Prof Talitha Best: Clinical Psychologist, Deputy Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee and head of the NeuroHealth lab. Talitha’s research, clinical practice, teaching and supervision focus on the impact of diet and therapeutic approaches for promoting brain function and improved psychological and mental health outcomes. She has expertise in developing and implementing interdisciplinary applied research that contributes to outcomes and knowledge across the areas of clinical psychology, behavioural neuroscience, nutritional psychiatry, compassion science, food systems and agricultural development aimed at improving lives through better brain and mind health.

Dr Matt Fernandez is a registered chiropractor, researcher and senior lecturer in the Discipline of Chiropractic at CQUniversity, Brisbane Campus. Matt teaches the Undergraduate and Master of Chiropractic program. His research interest focus on understanding the important aspects of physical activity and exercise interventions in chiropractic practice, where he has presented his work at numerous domestic and international conferences. Matt is also part of the Chiropractic Education Australasia, assisting the Accreditation Body evaluating teaching programs across Australasia.

PANEL FACILITATOR

Dr Anita Milroy: Senior Project Manager, Inspiring Australia Queensland. Anita's work is focussed on community engagement in STEM. As part of a national network Anita facilitates National Science Week, the IAQ mbassador Poogram, Targeted Science Communication prgram and Regional STEM Hubs