Dr Julian Cox, ABC Science Media Fellow

01 December 2003

UNSW microbiologist Dr Julian Cox is one of three Australian scientists awarded an ABC Science Media Fellowship for 2004.

The fellowships are designed to create greater awareness and understanding of the media among working scientists and engineers.

"I wanted a chance to interact with people who are communicating science regularly to the public - to see how they do it and to have a chance to be part of it," Dr Cox says. A senior lecturer in the school of chemical sciences, he believes scientists have a duty to communicate what they do to the wider community.

"When I did my science training, I became aware of the perception that scientists were poor communicators," he says. "They were also seen as people who locked themselves away in an ivory tower and did arcane things that may might not mean anything. I think it's important to be able to make sure what we do gets across to the public in terms that they understand."

Dr Cox cites Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty and distinguished scientist Sir Gustav Nossal as two Australian scientists who are effective communicators.

"I heard Peter Doherty give a keynote address at a scientific meeting and he held everyone spellbound. Even though his work is obviously fundamental and technically very deep, he simplified it and brought the messages home very clearly," says Dr Cox. "Sir Gus Nossal is another good example of someone who speaks eloquently and with great passion."

Dr Cox starts his Fellowship at the ABC on 15 March 2004. He will be joined by immunologist Dr Bronwyn O'Brien from University of Technology, Sydney and Dr Edmund Poliness from the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne.