Siouxsie Wiles
| Souxsie Wiles | |
|---|---|
| Residence | New Zealand |
| Fields | microbiology, science education |
| Institutions | University of Auckland |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Notable awards | Blake Medal |
Siouxsie Wiles (born Susanna Wiles) is a microbiologist and science communicator who is based in New Zealand. Her specialist areas are infectious diseases and bioluminescence.
Early life
Wiles grew up in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Her mother is a social worker and her father is a business owner.[1]
Education
Wiles studied at the University of Edinburgh and graduated in 1997 with a BSc(Hons) in Medical Microbiology. While an undergraduate, she received a Nuffield Scholarship and worked in the university's School of Biological Sciences.[2] Wiles completed her Ph.D at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, previously known as the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology.[3][4]
Professional life
After completing her Ph.D, Wiles moved to Imperial College London for a post-doctoral research position on tuberculosis. In 2007 she became a lecturer at Imperial College and in 2009 was awarded a Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand and moved to the University of Auckland.[5] Wiles is the head of the university's Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab.[2]
Science communication
Wiles is passionate about demystifying science for the general public. She is an active blogger on Sciblogs.co.nz, an online podcaster, a commentator on Radio New Zealand and appears on TV shows to discuss science stories in the news.[2][5] She was one of eight scientists who fronted the New Zealand government's National Science Challenges in 2012, and co-presented the TV series "The Great New Zealand Science Project".[4][6]
She has also used art and film to communicate scientific ideas - in 2011 she collaborated with Australian graphic artist Luke Harris to produce a series of animated films featuring bioluminescent creatures and their uses in science.[5] One of the animations, on fireflies, was selected for inclusion in the 6th Imagine Science Film Festival in New York in 2013, and the Goethe Institute’s 2014 Science Film Festival.[2] Wiles also collaborated with artist Rebecca Klee on an installation at the Auckland Art in the Dark Festival in 2013, which featured the Hawaiian bobtail squid.[1]
Awards and recognition
- New Zealand National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee Three Rs Prize, 2011[5]
- New Zealand Association of Scientists' Science Communication Prize, 2012[7]
- Prime Minister's Prize for Science Media Communication, 2013[7]
- Royal Society of New Zealand's Callaghan Medal, 2013[7]
- Blake Leader Award from the Sir Peter Blake Trust, 2016[8]
References
- 1 2 Laxon, Andrew (2013-11-23). "Michele Hewitson interview: Siouxsie Wiles". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
- 1 2 3 4 "Siouxsie Wiles | The University of Edinburgh". www.ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
- ↑ "About Siouxsie | Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab". www.superbugslab.org. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
- 1 2 "The Prime Minister's Science Media Communication Prize 2013 | The Prime Minister's Science Prizes". www.pmscienceprizes.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
- 1 2 3 4 "Dr Siouxsie Wiles". Royal Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
- ↑ "The Great NZ Science Project begins!". Retrieved 2016-07-04.
- 1 2 3 "Dr Siouxsie Wiles - The University of Auckland". unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
- ↑ "Sir Peter Blake Trust honours leaders at black-tie awards". Retrieved 2016-07-04.