Pronouns: She/Her
Position: Deputy Group Leader, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases
What was your PhD in? Neurobiology- I studied oxidative damage in the brain after seizures, in animal models of epilepsy.
Where do you live and where are you from? I live in Melbourne, and I am originally from India.
ECR or MCR? MCR
Why did you want to join the EMCR Forum Executive? I want to promote gender equity and diversity in STEM. As a culturally diverse immigrant with young children, I want to work to create a more inclusive environment for girls and women like me. Attrition of women at the senior levels of the academic workforce, mainly for family reasons, means a loss of many potential discoveries. I want to prove that with the right support, we can be successful all the way to the top.
Hobbies and fun facts about you? I am a "scientist baker" - I bake a lot, but I rarely bake the same thing twice. I particularly like inventing healthier, high fibre, low sugar treats for my kids. I am also an avid yoga fan.
Social media handles? @dr_maithili on Twitter.
Pronouns: She/Her
Position: Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science
What was your PhD in? Molecular biology/stem cell biology
Where do you live and where are you from? I grew up in Mudgee, NSW and left there to go to the University of New England in Armidale, NSW, where I now work.
ECR or MCR? MCR
Why did you want to join the EMCR Forum Executive? I have worked with the EMCR Forum through the Representative Network and having been inspired by the work of the past executive committees, I wanted to take the next step of becoming more involved. I’m concerned about the pressure that EMCRs are currently facing in the research sector and want to help advocate for culture change in STEM that allows EMCRs to have healthier and more stable careers. As a first generation academic I’m also interested in professional development for EMCRs in similar positions, and as a regional academic I’m very keen to create connections between regional researchers and promote the excellent research taking place outside of major cities.
Hobbies and fun facts about you? I’m a keen runner (or more like shuffler!) and hiker, and although I’m very slow I’m quickly closing in on having 150 parkruns completed. I also enjoy reading, sewing and embroidery, and am a huge Marvel movie fan. Fun fact? I once starred in a TV commercial!
Social media handles? @accidental_sci on Twitter and @theaccidentalscientist on Instagram.
Pronouns: They/Them
Position: Early career researcher at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne.
What was your PhD in? My research interests centre around novel phase changing materials, their design and engineering for different purposes, and the developments of new applications that will better serve communities in Australia and abroad. I am passionate about pursuing a more holistic approach to problems such as climate change and focussing on the importance of multidisciplinary scientific innovation in order to drive impactful future solutions to current and emerging challenges.
Where do you live and where are you from? I am based in Naarm (Melbourne) on the land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.
ECR or MCR? ECR
Why did you want to join the EMCR Forum Executive? I wanted to join the EMCR Forum as a voice and advocate for more opportunity and better inclusion of gender-diverse, non-binary, queer, intersex and transgender people in research. We want more sophisticated inclusion models that capture the complexities of individuals and their access opportunities for them to truly dream and achieve those dreams. I genuinely think that our differences and what makes us unique is how we get better in research. For too long queer people have been excluded - if not by design rather by consequence of the current systems.
Hobbies and fun facts about you? I’m a fitness instructor at the gym, read more than I talk to people, write fiction/non-fiction and poetry, and I am making my first short film.
Fun facts about me are that I don’t listen to any songs with lyrics before midday (only classical works), Nina Simone is my favourite singer, I have watched every episode of Doctor Who ever aired, and I don’t miss a year of the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
Social media handles? @TahaSciencing on Twitter.
Pronouns: He/Him.
Position: Research Scientist, NSW Department of Primary Industries.
What was your PhD in? Ecology and impact of cat-borne diseases on wildlife and livestock.
Where do you live and where are you from? I’m from Victor Harbor, a small, coastal, tourist town about 1.5-hour drive south of Adelaide. Currently living in the Southern Suburbs of Canberra after a couple year stint living in Orange in regional NSW.
ECR or MCR? ECR.
Why did you want to join the EMCR Forum Executive? To advocate for research roles and researchers outside of the traditional university system and explore stable career paths for EMCRs within the fields of environment and ecology.
Hobbies and fun facts about you? I enjoy playing AFL football, birdwatching, and spending time outdoors. Fun fact – I grew up shearing sheep in school and university holidays as a hobby and to make money.
Social media handles? @PLTaggart on Twitter.
Pronouns: She/Her
Position: ARC Future Fellow & Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry at Curtin University
What was your PhD in? Theoretical and Computational Chemistry – Development and application of virtual tools to the study of materials (aluminosilicate minerals and inorganic nanotubes).
Where do you live and where are you from? I’m originally from Italy, but I’ve made Perth my home now.
ECR or MCR? MCR
Why did you want to join the EMCR Forum Executive? I want to advocate for a mentally safe, flexible, and inclusive research environment, allowing more sustainable and diverse career paths. I am particularly concerned about the working conditions of part-time EMCRs and of EMCRs undergoing career interruptions. As a migrant woman from a culturally diverse country juggling a STEM career and motherhood, I believe I have a lot to contribute to help designing more supportive and more inclusive practices in research.
Hobbies and fun facts about you? I’m a swimmer, I love cooking and playing science and crafting with kids. I loved travelling too, but that has been put on hold as I can’t handle a car drive longer than 3 h with young kids. Fun facts: I’m fascinated by the strong interconnection between science and cooking, and I use cooking as a mean to introduce science to my kids (and guest kids).
Social media handles? @raffademichelis on Twitter.
Pronouns: She/Her
Position: Astronomer
What was your PhD in? Astrophysics, studying the Milky Way as an example of a galactic ecosystem driven by infall, outflow and circulation of neutral hydrogen.
Where do you live and where are you from? I currently live in Sydney, and I am originally from Sydney, but have also lived/studied/worked in Tokyo and Groningen.
ECR or MCR? Probably an ECR slowly evolving into an MCR.
Why did you want to join the EMCR Forum Executive? Personally, I'm keen to learn more about how policy and governance can effectively support and develop the EMCR community in Australia. I have particular interest in advocating for sustainable, flexible career pathways for EMCRs and for digital-first initiatives in science to maximise accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability.
Hobbies and fun facts about you? I've played basketball competitively for almost 20 years, it's great fun! I'm also a big fan of virtual reality and have been really excited to see it progress significantly over the last few years - I can now go VR-cycling in Paris via an exercise bike in the living room! And I'm currently building an autonomous telescope scheduler named SAURON.
Social media handles? @cosmicpudding on Twitter.
Pronouns: He/Him.
Position: NHMRC Fellow and Lecturer
What was your PhD in? Development of a drug delivery platform using multifunctional polymeric scaffold for scar therapy
Where do you live and where are you from? I live in Sydney, but originally I am from India.
ECR or MCR? ECR
Why did you want to join the EMCR Forum Executive? One of the primary reasons behind my interest in joining EMCR Forum Executive has been to focus on stress related-mental health support for EMCRs and addressing the underlying factors that contribute towards this ever-increasing mental stress.
Hobbies and fun facts about you? I am a gastro-traveller. I travel around the world to eat local cuisines.
Social media handles? @Vipul_Syd on Twitter and vipul-agarwal-42236017 on LinkedIn
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