111. Interview with early career scientist and science communicator Dr Kira Hughes

This week we loved chatting with Dr Kira Hughes, an aerobiologist and award-winning science communicator who is passionate about helping other researchers learn how to effectively communicate their science and advocating for underrepresented groups in STEM.Kira has over five years of experience in science communication. She's presented at several public events, ranging from international conferences to comedy shows, and has been interviewed as a scientific expert for news articles, radio shows, magazines, & podcasts. She has applied her science communication skillset through outreach ventures encouraging students to pursue careers in STEM, as well as coordinating research-focused content for marketing campaigns. Kira has received numerous awards in science communication, including the 2023 Deakin University Three Minute Thesis Runner-Up & People's Choice Winner. Due to her outstanding work in science communication, she was recently named a Superstar of STEM by Science & Technology Australia. Currently, Kira works as a Research Grants Officer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where she helps scientists effectively communicate their work to secure funding for important cancer research.Kira is an expert in aerobiology: the study of airborne allergens like pollen & fungal spores. While completing her PhD with the NeuroAllergy Research Laboratory (NARL) at Deakin University, her research focused on understanding the underlying factors of thunderstorm asthma and developing better ways to monitor allergens. Kira also worked on developing an innovative real-time sensor that could detect airborne allergens in less than one hour, which is not only significantly quicker than current technology, but may serve as an effective real-time warning system for thunderstorm asthma to help save lives. Her research will help scientists learn more about how these events unfold and create better methods for predicting future asthma epidemics. You’ll love hearing about Kira’s passion for science communication and all the things she’s learned along the way over the past five years. You can follow Kira and learn more about her work here: https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/profile/kira-hughes/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kira-m-hughes/https://www.instagram.com/kira.etsahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GHChZzcOpkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Go5tA6758https://www.theguardian.com/deakin-university--bold-ideas-with-impact/ng-interactive/2025/jan/21/suffer-from-asthma-or-allergies-a-tiny-gold-disc-could-save-your-lifehttps://youtu.be/rzKgb2FHv0Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R4jctjTGnI&list=PLeEQNZMTnnINcTA_lWJBqiTkla2qJnv5H&index=9Transcript: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/yd3p