People

Dr Kristin Alford, Managing Director

Kristin’s specific capabilities are in marketing and communications in science and technology, strategy and foresight, facilitation, & learning initiatives. Areas of expertise include nanotechnology, mining, & futures thinking. Kristin’s strengths are communicating complex concepts & finding order in chaos.  She completed her PhD in minerals processing engineering at the University of Queensland and worked with BHPBilliton as a metallurgist and in human resources. She later worked with Ansett Air New Zealand before founding Bridge8 in 2004. She is on the boards of the Australian Network for Art and Technology and the Australian Nano Business Forum.

Dr Sarah Keenihan, Science Communications Manager

Sarah joined Bridge8 in 2007. She has actively cultured her joint interests in research biology and communicating science over the last 12 years.  She has a PhD (Reproductive Immunology) from the University of Adelaide and is undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Sciences Communication at Central Queensland University.  She was a NHMRC Research Officer in the Immunology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, at the University of Adelaide.  Prior to that, she was a Research Associate and Team Leader with the Parasitic Disease Program’s Immunology Department, at the US Navy Medical Research Center No. 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia.  She has written numerous ‘In Brief’ and ‘Journal Club’ articles for the Elsevier review journals Trends in Immunology and Trends in Parasitology and is an active member of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR). Sarah believes all members of society can enjoy and benefit from improving their knowledge of science, medicine and technology.

Jenna Malone, Science & Industry Analyst

Jenna joined Bridge8 in 2007. She has a Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons) from Flinders University and is currently completing her PhD, investigating stress responses in wheat and barley, at the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG). She is also undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Commercialisation through the University of Adelaide for which she has been awarded a Commercialisation Training Scheme Scholarship. Jenna has an interest in science communication and has been active in promoting the work of the ACPFG by presenting the student workshop ‘Get into Genes’ as well as other activities such as ‘The Gene Juice Bar’ and at the Royal Adelaide Show. She is also an active committee member of the AusBiotech student association ABSA, which aims to bridge the gap between science students and the industry.

Alexandra Smart, Science & Industry Analyst

Alexandra  is from Bartagunyah – a farm at Melrose, the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. She joined Bridge8 in 2008 and her areas of specific capabilities include science commercialisation, communication, and marketing. She has a Bachelor of Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology from UniSA and Honours in Biotechnology (IP Management and Commercialisation) from Adelaide University. Following honours she stayed with the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) to commence a PhD, investigating stress responses in barley. She has completed a Graduate Certificate in Commercialisation with a Government Commercialisation Training Scheme Scholarship through the University of Adelaide.

Whilst at the ACPFG, Alexandra has been involved in many science communication activities including presenting the science education workshop ‘Get into Genes’ as well as ‘CSI: Crop Science Investigators’ at the Royal Adelaide Show. She was also a Committee member of the  AusBiotech Student Association (ABSA) for several years organising many seminars and networking events and was appointed Co-Chair of the committee for 2008.

Jennifer Millar, Science & Industry Analyst – Western Australia

Jennifer joined Bridge8 in November 2008 and holds a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Nanotechnology from Curtin University, Perth. She is committed to science communication and has been able to pursue this passion through her involvement with the Science and Engineering Faculty at Curtin, and also as a Science Communicator at Scitech Discovery Centre in Perth. Jennifer’s research experience includes drug encapsulation by nanoparticulate polymers and novel polymer synthesis. She has recently returned from Europe after completing her studies in Germany and teaching in France. She believes that international science communication is vital for both scientific advancements and the nurturing of international relations.

Kate Harries, Science & Industry Analyst – Queensland

Kate is an ecologist and environmental scientist who loves to explore problems and ideas from an interdisciplinary perspective. Kate holds an Honours degree in Science from the University of Queensland where her speciality area was plant ecology as well as a Bachelor of Arts majoring in anthropology, geography and journalism.  Kate has worked as an environmental consultant for government and private projects in Queensland and France where she has been able to explore creative approaches to promoting sustainable development in diverse industries.  Kate is interested in interactions between people and their environment and social impacts of science, technology, development and environmental change. Kate commenced with Bridge8 in April 2009.

Lisa Bailey, Science Writer – UK

Lisa joined Bridge8 in July 2007 and maintained a blogging role with Bridge8 after moving to be the Young Persons’ Programme Coordinator with the Royal Institution in London, UK. Lisa obtained her Bachelor of Biotechnology at Flinders University and is currently completing her PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Adelaide.  She is passionate about science education, not just to produce new scientists but to produce citizens who can make their own informed choices about the science and technology that inevitably affects our lives. Lisa is on the South Australian committee of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), where she has been involved in coordinating educational outreach programs and public science engagement events such as ‘Science in the Cinema’.

The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them. -Sir William Bragg