On the back of National Science Week 2025, we’re bringing you a special episode this week featuring our exclusive interview with Queensland's Chief Scientist, Professor Kerrie Wilson, whose role it is to champion the importance of science for our society, our economy and environment, to promote Queensland’s leadership in scientific research partnerships, and to facilitate that translation of research to the general public.

SWN's Editor-in-Chief Dr Amanda Niehaus and co-host Bianca Millroy had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Professor Kerrie Wilson, who gave generous insight into what a day in the life of a Chief Scientist involves, what’s happening in Queensland science in the Year of Quantum, the role of science (including the social sciences) and the arts in combating mis- and dis-information, and so much more.

In this episode, we cover a diverse range of topics such as:

• what the role of Chief Scientist entails, and how Professor Kerrie Wilson transitioned into this role from her background in the tertiary education sector and as a dedicated environmental scientist
• what incited Kerrie to embark on a career in science, and her advice for anyone considering a career in STEM
• why Queensland is uniquely positioned in Quantum science and key initiatives that Kerrie and her team are leading in this space
• how the Office of the Chief Scientist actively supports STEM education and accessibility across the state, including the annual Women in STEM Prize and Engaging Science grants
• how science communication and research translation, combining science and arts, is vital in terms of combating mis- and dis-information
• the vision for Queensland science; key priorities, challenges and opportunities unique to our state looking ahead into the future, given its diverse environment, natural resources, demographic and First Nations peoples.

Throughout this episode, we highlight some of the current priorities, achievements and key initiatives of Professor Wilson and her team. Further links and resources are available in the full show notes on the SWN website.

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Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

In our previous conversation, we explored FND through the lens of neurology and linguistics, and our three experts spoke about re-writing the narrative of FND. One of the key issues highlighted during our conversation is the critical gap when it comes to general practitioners (GPs) and functional symptoms. This really struck a chord with me and so I went away and did some research and came across Dr Gillian Deakin, a GP based in Sydney who is particularly passionate about functional conditions, and has written a book titled What the hell is wrong with me? that addresses this very fraught and frustrating problem. This is a special bonus episode that ties into Cognitive Conversations #9 from the perspective of a GP who is pushing for more awareness and advocacy around functional conditions in general practice. Enjoy listening, then read more in the Show Notes!

Meet today's guest: Dr Gillian Deakin has been studying and working in medicine for over 40 years, having graduated from Sydney University. She's worked as a doctor in Sydney and the Outback, where she cared for the cast and crew on a film set, and later, with the Royal Flying Doctors Service and the Aboriginal health services. After wintering in Antarctica as the medical officer at Davis research station, she completed her doctoral thesis, ‘Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Antarctic’. She then undertook a master’s in public health at Sydney University, following which she directed an aid program on the remote islands of Kiribati. Returning to Sydney, she trained as a specialist GP. While keeping an up-to-date clinical knowledge of orthodox medicine, Dr Deakin has broadened her expertise through studies in nutrition and lifestyle medicine. Her first book, 101 things a GP would tell you if only there was time, was published in 2006. Her latest book is What the hell is wrong with me? How to recover from pain, fatigue, weakness and other undiagnosed symptoms. Dr Deakin has been featured on ABC Conversations and ABC Sydney Mornings.

Connect with Dr Deakin on Instagram and visit her website.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to neurologists Dr Alex Lehn and Dr David Palmer with sociolinguistic expert, Dr Shelley Dawson on re-writing the narrative of functional neurological disorders (FND) and why labels — and language — matter.

Functional neurological disorders are one of the most common disorders you’ve never heard of. But an estimated 4 to 12 out of 100,000 people develop FND, and it’s the second most common presentation in neurology clinics worldwide. Tests and scans such as MRIs and EEG can’t pick up functional issues, however; leaving patients misdiagnosed, or dismissed entirely. This is where the arts — the power of our stories and language — come in.

In this conversation, we get to the heart of our grey matter, exploring a topic that is deeply personal and yet widely felt in our communities, among patients, allied health professionals and medical experts. An issue that is largely invisible and yet deceptively common. We uncover the historical basis, harmful discourse, and pervasive mythologies underpinning functional disorders, and what the future holds in terms of emerging research at the intersection of mind, brain and body.

It’s time to re-write the narrative.

Access the FULL SHOW NOTES on the SWN website.

Cognitive Conversations is hosted by Bianca Millroy. This episode was recorded and produced in Meanjin, Brisbane.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to Drs Sue Woolfe and Nicola Redhouse about the neuroscience of creativity, and what makes us ‘wired’ to write.

This is part two of a rich and rare conversation between two exceptionally driven and curious writers who are both intrigued by the science of the brain and unravelling its many layers, networks, functions and dysfunctions when it comes to creativity. So much more than a conversation, this is a masterclass in the art and science of storytelling. Visit sciencewritenow.com/listen for the full show notes.

Dr. Sue Woolfe is the internationally bestselling author of seven books, including five critically acclaimed works of literary fiction and two works of nonfiction. Her first novel Leaning Towards Infinity won the Christina Stead Award and Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and has been named "one of the most important books of the century". Sue taught Creative Writing at Sydney University, ANU and at NIDA, where she edified playwrights and musicians about neuroscience through the lens of creativity. Sue is based on Gadigal Land in Sydney.

Dr. Nicola Redhouse is a writer and researcher, whose debut book Unlike the Heart: a memoir of brain and mind explores philosophy of mind through her lived experience of early motherhood, and the schisms between biological and psychological approaches to mental health. Nicola has recently completed her PhD (Creative Writing) by Practice Research Symposium, drawing on her personal and intellectual engagement with neuro-psychoanalysis through a creative practice lens. Nicola is based in Naarm/Melbourne.

Throughout this episode, we discuss two books in particular, Sue’s The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady, and Nicola’s memoir, Unlike The Heart. Links to the authors’ websites, publications and interviews are detailed the show notes, along with a recommended reading list by our guests on creativity and neuroscience.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to Drs Sue Woolfe and Nicola Redhouse about the neuroscience of creativity, and what makes us ‘wired’ to write.

This is part one of a rich and rare conversation between two exceptionally driven and curious writers who are both intrigued by the science of the brain and unravelling its many layers, networks, functions and dysfunctions when it comes to creativity. So much more than a conversation, this is a masterclass in the art and science of storytelling. Visit sciencewritenow.com/listen for the full show notes.

Dr. Sue Woolfe is the internationally bestselling author of seven books, including five critically acclaimed works of literary fiction and two works of nonfiction. Her first novel Leaning Towards Infinity won the Christina Stead Award and Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and has been named "one of the most important books of the century". Sue taught Creative Writing at Sydney University, ANU and at NIDA, where she edified playwrights and musicians about neuroscience through the lens of creativity. Sue is based on Gadigal Land in Sydney.

Dr. Nicola Redhouse is a writer and researcher, whose debut book Unlike the Heart: a memoir of brain and mind explores philosophy of mind through her lived experience of early motherhood, and the schisms between biological and psychological approaches to mental health. Nicola has recently completed her PhD (Creative Writing) by Practice Research Symposium, drawing on her personal and intellectual engagement with neuro-psychoanalysis through a creative practice lens. Nicola is based in Naarm/Melbourne.

Throughout this episode, we discuss two books in particular, Sue’s The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady, and Nicola’s memoir, Unlike The Heart. Links to the authors’ websites, publications and interviews are detailed the show notes, along with a recommended reading list by our guests on creativity and neuroscience.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

Brain preservation. It sounds like science fiction, right? Neuroscientist and author Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston is determined to prove otherwise in his recent, game-changing book, The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death.

This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to neuroscientist, author and passionate advocate for brain preservation, Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston. Over at Monash University’s Neuroscience of Consciousness Lab (MoNoC), Ariel is investigating the ways in which we characterise the nature of consciousness, or what it is like “to be”— from the decline, preservation and rescue of cognitive function at different stages of the lifespan, through to comparing our conscious embodied experience. This line of enquiry, of course, passes through the chasm of life and death. But should we accept the natural, inevitable way of things? Or is there another path our future could take?

The Future Loves You makes the medical, scientific, philosophical and ethical case for how we can preserve the dying to enable their future revival. Contributing to cutting edge research in the field, Ariel clarifies the neurobiological, cognitive, and emotional basis of what it is to be alive, and he hopes to accelerate the development of the medical infrastructure that will help prevent him and everyone else from dying.

Join Ariel and SWN host, Bianca Millroy for a fascinating tour of the brain: our source of self, memory and consciousness, and how our understanding of it is radically redefining death.

Show notes: visit scienceritenow.com/listen/cognitive-conversations-7-on-brain-preservation-and-existential-optimism-with-dr-ariel-zeleznikow-johnston for the full show notes, including further resources and recommended reading.

Ariel's book, The Future Loves You is available now in hardback, ebook and audiobook.

Connect with Ariel and find out more about his research on his website (including supplementary material), and follow him on Bluesky @arielzj.

Ariel's Substack blog is Preserving Hope.

Listen to Ariel speak on ABC's Conversations with Richard Fidler, and on All In The Mind with Sana Qadar live at World Science Festival Brisbane!

Content note: This episode discusses topics such as death and terminal illness, as well as descriptions of biological function and medical procedures.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

Space: the final frontier. Beautiful. Intriguing. Mysterious… but if you go there, YOU WILL DIE!Join astrophysicist Dr Eileen O'Hely and graphic artist Nico O'Sullivan in-conversation with Jacinta den Besten LIVE at Books@Stones!

The human body is perfectly adapted to the conditions on Earth. But blast that fragile body into the extreme and varying environments of space and it won't fare so well – and that’s only if you survive the take-off!

From scorching million degree temperatures, to pressures that would instantly SQUISH you to the size of a ping pong ball, O'Hely and O'Sullivan present, 50 Ways to Die in Space – in excruciating and scientifically accurate detail – the physics and physiology of existing (and ceasing to exist) in deep space.

Meet our guests

Dr Eileen O’Hely is an award-winning children's writer and literary competition judge. Eileen holds a double degree in Arts/Science (Hons) from Melbourne University and a PhD in Astrophysics from UNSW. Her day jobs have included university tutor, English teacher, website producer, and sports journalist. When Eileen is not making lists of all the ways space tries to kill humans, she tells planetarium audiences about how fascinating it is.

Nico O’Sullivan is an emerging illustrator with a love for fun characters and wonderful worlds. With his childhood and teenage years filled with a passion for art and illustration, Nico is excited to bring his first graphic novel to life, sparking curiosity and adventure in young readers.

Jacinta den Besten is a physics educator with a degree in Science (Hons) and graduate diploma in Education from the University of Melbourne. Her research career spans condensed matter physics, teaching in secondary and tertiary education settings, and public outreach in astronomy and mathematics, sometimes all at the same time. Jacinta is a staunch supporter and advocate for women and girls in science and loves combining maths with art and craft.

This episode was recorded on-site at Books@Stones in Meanjin/Brisbane, and produced and edited by Bianca Millroy (SWN).

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

This week on the podcast, Bianca is joined live by two psychiatrist-creatives, Dr Warren Ward and Dr Rory Hutchinson, discussing philosophies of the brain and mind. Journey into the labyrinth to learn what incited these two creative/medical practitioners to pursue a career devoted to the science of the mind and brain. Hear their generous insights on using narrative techniques in their day-to-day practice, and where the creative process, autonomy, ethics and philosophy all fit into this picture. Finally, we explore how scientific and medical practice could be approached differently through the lens of art, philosophy, and the humanities - what it is about the combination of art and science that ignites endless curiosity?

Content note: This episode touches on mental illness, PTSD, eating disorders, suicidality and other aspects of psychiatric medicine. Please take care when listening and reach out to support services available 24/7 when needed.

Meet our guests

Dr Warren Ward is a psychiatrist who writes about philosophy, culture, travel and the history of ideas. His first novel-length work, Lovers of Philosophy, explores the love lives of seven continental philosophers. Warren is an experienced psychiatrist who specialises in eating disorders, and is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Queensland.

Dr. Rory Hutchinson is a highly qualified psychiatrist who uses his extensive knowledge and experience in the Medical Humanities to deliver evidence-based, compassionate care that can make a real difference in people's lives. Rory is also working on a nonfiction project exploring the final works by great artists to understand what art can teach us about life and death.

Bianca Millroy (SWN host) is an emerging science writer, editor, podcaster and PhD student based in Meanjin (Brisbane). Find out more about Bianca on SWN.

This episode was recorded live at the State Library of Queensland on Kurilpa Point, Place of the Water Rat, overlooking the beautiful Maiwar River.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.