What We Do

QueersInScience was born out of the Parkville Biomedical Precinct, Melbourne. We have since expanded to greater Melbourne and rural Victoria, laying the foundations for our national network. We are a thriving community of queer people in STEMM, holding regular professional and social events. Join our mailing list below to stay up to date with all QueersInScience happenings in Victoria.

Our Recent Events

23 Sep

Online Zoom

QueersInScience Fireside Chat – Q&A with Bi+ Scientists

View event: QueersInScience Fireside Chat – Q&A with Bi+ Scientists
06 Sep

The Motley Bauhaus, VIC

QueersInSci-Fi 2

View event: QueersInSci-Fi 2
18 Nov

Science Gallery Melbourne , VIC

LGBTQIA+ STEMM Day 2023: Queerness in STEMM – Australia’s Story

View event: LGBTQIA+ STEMM Day 2023: Queerness in STEMM – Australia’s Story

Victorian Committee

Sarah Gordon

Pronouns: she/her

Head of the Presynaptic Physiology Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Sarah is the secretary of the Victorian chapter of QueersinScience. Her team is trying to unravel the mysteries of how brain cells communicate, and what happens when these processes fail. Her lab study a range of neurological disorders, including Baker-Gordon Syndrome (which her group helped characterise), Autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Disease.

Chloe Mackallah

Pronouns: she/her

Climate Scientist, CSIRO

Chloe Mackallah is a climate scientist at CSIRO, transgender/queer advocate, and National Co-Convener of QueersinScience. With a PhD in astrophysics, Chloe now works to develop climate models and simulate the Earth system. Chloe is passionate about creating an environmentally sustainable future, and enjoys science fiction, and playing heavy metal.

Camelia Walker

Pronouns: they/them

Mathematical Epidemiologist, The University of Melbourne

Dr Camelia Walker is a mathematician, co-Chair of QueersInScience Victoria, Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and Science and Technology Australia Superstar of STEM. Their epidemic modelling informed the Australian Government’s COVID-19 response, national vaccine eligibility, and WHO guidelines. Camelia is passionate about queer rights, heavy metal, and slap bass.

Elyas Arvell

Pronouns: they/them

PhD Candidate, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Elyas is a graduate researcher in neuroscience and a committee member for the Victorian Chapter of QueersInScience.

Kim Kwan

Pronouns: she/they

Kim Kwan is the Project Manager for QueersInScience. Trained as an organic and analytical chemist, she moved from the lab to communications coordinator for the Journal of Neurochemistry and International Society for Neurochemistry. Previously the QIS communications lead for Victoria, she now works on a national level to help the STEMM sector build LGBTQIA+ inclusion. She is always up for grabbing a coffee or kicking a soccer ball around!

Sarah Stephenson

Pronouns: she/her

Dr Sarah Stephenson is molecular neurobiologist using advanced genomic technologies including targeted deep sequencing and high throughput single cell sequencing to understand malformations of brain development that cause epilepsy, and novel recombinant mouse strains to understand the genetics of Parkinson’s disease. Dr Stephenson is also the co-founder of QueersInScience.

Mohammad Taha

Pronouns: they/them

Dr Mohammad Taha is a researcher at the Melbourne School of Engineering and a non-binary queer person of colour. In 2019, Dr Taha was recognised as one of the top innovative engineers in Australia for their work in novel phase-changing materials and their role in smart-surfaces and the future of climate control. Dr Taha is an enthusiastic reader, writer, soon to be film maker and an advocate for the queer rights generally and people of colour specifically. Mohammad is a National Co-Convener for QueersInScience.

Manuela Jörg

Pronouns: she/her

Monash and Newcastle University (UK) Fellow

I am a medicinal chemist at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and my current research interest focuses on the development of small molecular drugs and pharmacological tools for studying neurological disorders, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, I am passionate about increasing the visibility minorities in STEM as well as providing enhanced opportunities to Early- and Mid-Career researchers.

Deanne Fisher

Pronouns: she/her

Associate Professor, Swinburne University

Deanne is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University, where she characterises the properties of galaxies and determines how they relate to galaxy evolution.

Matthew Coleman

Pronouns: he/him

PhD Candidate, Bruce Lefroy Centre, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

Matt is a PhD student at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. His research focuses on the genetic causes of epilepsy and brain malformations in children. Matt is the secretary of QueersInScience in Victoria. In his spare time, Matt prides himself on being ice cream enthusiast and a trashy Christmas film connoisseur.

Sarah Sandford

Pronouns: she/they

Research Scientist, CSL

Sarah is the Co-Chair for the Victorian chapter of QueersInScience.

Leigh Walker

Research Fellow, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Leigh is the Treasurer for the Victorian chapter of QueersInScience.

Michael Traeger

Pronouns: he/him

PhD Candidate, Burnet Institute

Michael’s research focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of HIV, viral hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections among vulnerable populations, and involves using national surveillance data to examine epidemiological trends and evaluate large-scale public health interventions.

Nel Arseven

Pronouns: she/her

Alex Caputo

Pronouns: he/him

Dr Alex Caputo is a CSIRO Early Research Career Fellow. He is a structural biologist with a keen interest in viruses, how to stop them, with a focus on tackling neglected diseases. His current work bridges an academic and an industrial research environment and how to translate basic research into tangible solutions.

Kaden Huckstep

Pronouns: they/he

PhD Candidate, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Laura Geissler

Pronouns: she/her

PhD Candidate, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne

Laura is a microbial ecologist investigating symbiotic bacteria living inside corals, with the goal expediting the development of probiotics to prevent bleaching. She currently serves as QIS Victoria’s communications coordinator. Laura loves art and painting, is a DJ and avid Aussie rules footy player.

Tracey May

Pronouns: she/her

Eliot Walton

Pronouns: she/her

PhD Candidate with Monash University and the University of Warwick

Eliot is an experimental particle physicist working with the LHCb experiment, which is one of the four main experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) based at CERN. She is one of the two Early Career Representatives in the Early Career and Gender Diversity office in the LHCb experiment. Her scientific work focuses the production mechanisms of particles with more than one heavy quark and on the R&D of next-generation particle identification detectors. She also works as a research associate for QIS on the history of queer contributions to Australian STEMM.

Mike Wilson

Pronouns: they/them

Sheida Shadani

Marco Capelli

Pronouns: he/him

Mark Woodcock

Pronouns: they/them

Danny Hatters