South Australia

Perry is a lesbian evolutionary biologist and entomologist at The University of Adelaide. Her research focuses on untangling the evolution of subterranean  insects using DNA and investigating how these enigmatic animals are related to one another. Perry is passionate about turning people into defenders of insects, communicating science to the general public more broadly, and increasing the visibility of the LGBTIQ+ community in STEM fields.

Dr Ashley Meakin is a postdoctoral researcher in the Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, UniSA. His current research broadly focuses on understanding how fetal growth restriction and feto-placental sex impacts the function of the maternal-placental-fetal interface. His work has expanded to also look at how dysfunction of this interface may contribute to the risks of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases later in life. As co-chair for the South Australian QIS chapter, Ashley hopes to further LGBTQIA+ visibility within the research industry as well as provide opportunities for those within the community to engage with research. Ashley strongly believes that it is through community engagement that the best scientific discoveries are made and applied.

Brad works with the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service and holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Flinders University. He is a commencing PhD candidate, researching the application of trait-based approaches in understanding aquatic assemblages.

Jacinta is a junior doctor currently working as a pre-vocational obstetric and gynaecology registrar in rural SA. She is passionate about equity of access in health care especially for women, rural patients and LGBTIQ+ patients. Her research is predominately in public health and health care quality improvement.

Chad is an accredited practising dietitian in chronic disease self-management using mHealth technologies. He is completing his PhD in frailty and will be researching on cancer survivorship at Flinders University.