Science. Art. Film.: The Girl with All the Gifts

Panellists: 

Dr Shao-Jie (Nils) Jhou is a doctoral student at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the ANU, where he researches the interactions between science and popular media. He received a PhD in Neuroscience and an MA in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies from National Tsing Hua University. Influenced by his award-winning experience in game design and scriptwriting, his work examines how film, television, and video games reinterpret scientific concepts through popular storytelling, thereby shaping public engagement with science. His current project focuses on parasites and parasitism in screen media and their relationship to parasitological discourse. 

Dr Ryan P. O’Donnell is a mycologist, botanist and postdoctoral researcher at the Research School of Biology at the Australian National University. Ryan’s research is predominantly focused on the evolution of the Australian orchid flora and its associated mycorrhizal funga. More broadly, Ryan’s research interests span genomics, systematics, taxonomy, and evolutionary ecology, particularly with respect to the evolution of symbiosis. Prior to their scientific work, Ryan’s experience was in the performing, visual, and creative arts, where they enjoyed separate careers as a Conservatorium-trained opera singer and filmmaker. 

Moderator: 

Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, ANU. She is also the Head of POPSICULE, ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub. Dr Jürgens’ research explores cultural meanings of science, the history of (violent) clowns and mad scientists, science and humour, and the interface between science and (public) art.