Inspiring Australia Queensland

Today was a positive step forward for connecting regional women in STEMM. I am super proud as co-chair of Women in STEMM Australia to be a part of the STEMM Strolls initiative to bring connection and grow collaborations in regional Australia, especially my home in Townsville! Thank you to James Cook University for hosting and sponsoring Women in STEMM Australia’s Townsville STEMM Stroll. Thanks also goes to our other sponsors Merck Group Inspiring Australia Queensland and Soroptimist International TownsvilleBreakwater. Thanks Alana Grech for your support to host the event at JCU!

Great to support International Day of the Girl a the UNIQ You breakfast recently. "International Day of the Girl acknowledges the importance and potential of adolescent girls. This lesser known day of observance acknowledges the importance of the world’s 600 million adolescent girls and the myriad of challenges they face to reach their full potential. Girls continue to face unprecedented challenges to fulfil their full potential and this includes equal access to an education. In Australia, geographical location is just one barrier impacting the education and career pathways of our rural and remote girls. Through the delivery of their online service, UNIQ You has created a safe place for girls to explore, learn and connect with amazing role models offering real-time career advice to ultimately expand their horizons and inspire them to begin the journey towards the career of their dreams". Among the many highlights, was the insightful and inspiring keynote by Adjunct Professor Sarah Pearson – doing amazing work on many boards, including Chair of the Inspiring Australia Queensland Reference Group. Lauren Stephenson Kylie Kraus Jared Shepherd Karis Leung Josephine Wellings Hannah Drieberg Kaleen Tison Povis, PhD #GirlsInSTEM #STEM Photo credits to: Faraci Productions 

Good and bad extracellular vesicles in health and disease RESEARCHER PROFILE Associate Professor Joy Wolfram, PhD  Group Leader, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology AIBN, School of Chemical Engineering UQ,  The University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia Filmed in Brisbane, Queensland | June 2024 Triple-negative breast cancer is aggressive, harder to treat and - for the 2500 Australian women who are diagnosed each year – the disease is more likely to spread to other organs and result in death. Associate Professor Joy Wolfram, PhD leading a nanomedicine and extracellular vesicle research program with the goal of developing innovative approaches that bring the next generation of treatments and diagnostics directly to the clinic, says this is partially because triple negative breast cancer cells are able to hijack a messaging network in our bodies and convince the immune system to ignore the problem. Extracellular vesicles are the body’s text messages: little fat bubbles that carry vital information and cargo between cells. However, we know little about how these messengers move about. Understanding this process could be key to developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for diseases such as cancer. Assoc Prof Wolfram has joint appointments in the School of Chemical Engineering UQ and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology AIBN at The University of Queensland, and through her work at the AIBN, she aims to develop a new paradigm of therapeutics (using nanotechnology and cell products) to treat life-threatening diseases that are major causes of death globally, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and breast cancer. It is hoped this will save lives through a multidisciplinary skilled workforce developing innovative manufacturing at scale with industry partners, to position Australia as a global leader in extracellular vesicle medicine. Her particular focus areas are understanding the role of extracellular vesicles in cancer immunoevasion and metastasis, developing improved methods for extracellular vesicle isolation from human biofluids, and designing hybrid drug delivery systems with extracellular vesicle and synthetic components for a 'best-of-both-worlds' approach to treat cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. Her work has so far appeared in more than 80 journal publications and has received more than 30 awards from eight countries, including the 2016 Amgen Scholars Ten to Watch List (best and brightest up-and-comers in science and medicine across 42 countries), the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list in Health Care in the United States/Canada, the 2019 shortlist for the Nature Research Award for Inspiring Science (one of ten worldwide), and the 2021 Finnish Expat of the Year. Assoc Prof Wolfram funding includes National Breast Cancer Foundation, Health Translation Queensland, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Our Ambassadors are certainly inspiring! Dr Christina N. Zdenek is combining her love of STEM, conservation, biodiversity and the Palm Cockatoo project in Cape York, engaging with the local school in Bamaga! Reciprocal learning at its best.

For those of you who are passionate about STEM engagement, particularly around traditionally under-represented groups, the following fund (matched by the University of Queensland, and doubling impact) is now live! Dr Sarah Pearson Mikaeli Costello Lauren Stephenson Photo credit: Deadly Dancers Cloncurry https://lnkd.in/g_a7vTE4

We're looking forward to Queensland's first STEMM strolls! ☀️ Step into the Sunshine with STEMM Strolls! 🌴🔬 Are you a woman on the Sunshine Coast with a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or Medicine (STEMM)? Embark on a journey of connection, inspiration, and empowerment with Women in STEMM Australia’s - STEMM Strolls. 👩🔬 Unite with like-minded luminaries 🌿 Connect with nature and nurture your network 💡 Share ideas, spark conversations, and stimulate your STEMM spirit 🌊 Stroll along the scenic Sunshine Coast The STEMM Stroll is more than just a walk—it's a movement. It's a series of footsteps towards a future where women lead and innovate side by side. Where every path taken is a stride toward diversity in STEMM fields. Join us for an invigorating walk (and talk) that will leave you energised and encouraged. 📅 1 November 9.30am at Cotton Tree Park (Maroochy Rotary Park) 📍 Spots are limited, so stride swiftly to secure your space. For details and registration, visit https://lnkd.in/gACdqhAP Let's walk, connect, and cultivate our STEMM community—one step at a time. The Sunshine Coast STEMM Stroll is proudly supported by UniSC and Inspiring Australia (Qld). We are grateful to Merck for supporting STEMM Strolls across Australia.

Open now! Up to $20k, closing Oct 28. National Science Week 2025

National Science Week grants (up to $20,000) have just opened! https://lnkd.in/gxAsRjFc

Awesome Queenskand Science! https://lnkd.in/gcTuc_Zy