The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture entitled “My Life in Slime” on Sunday September 26, 2021, at 1.30pm, by Sarah Lloyd OAM.

You may, if you wish, attend the lecture in person ​at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk, No prior registration or notification is necessary. Normal COVID rules will apply.

Admission is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania. The charge is $4 for students, QVMAG Friends, TMAG Friends, and members of Launceston Historical Society. General admission is $6.

Alternatively, you may view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must register in advance to ensure that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

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‘My Life in Slime’ will outline the life cycle of slime moulds (myxomycetes) and describe why the several completely different stages of development have confused scientists and naturalists for centuries. It will also describe the process of collecting and storing slime mould fruiting bodies and the difficulties identifying some of the 120 different species found so far in northern Tasmania. 

Sarah Lloyd is a naturalist, writer and photographer who has written extensively about all aspects of Tasmania’s natural history, especially birds. Ten years after starting her study of slime moulds in the forest that surrounds her home, Sarah presented her work at a February 2020 conference in Costa Rica where participants were eager to learn about species found in Tasmania.

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Generously supported by  

Breaking New Ground
Public presentations by University of Tasmania PhD Candidates to celebrate Science Week

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The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to public presentations by three UTas PhD candidates, on August 22, 2021 at 1.30pm.

You may, if you wish, attend the lecture in person ​at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk, No prior registration or notification is necessary.

Alternatively you may view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must register in advance in ZOOM. This has nothing to do with COVID. It simply ensures that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

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Priyadarshni Bindal

Impact of oral health on overall well-being of community-dwelling seniors

The onset of severe oral diseases appears to occur in many older Australians when they are homebound, possibly due to barriers in oral health care access. A research team at UTAS aims to design a strategy to improve and maintain the oral health of community-dwelling seniors.

Priya is an oral health professional, clinical academic and researcher who has practiced dentistry in Malaysia and worked as a visiting researcher at Swinburne University, Victoria. She has undertaken projects with the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, published book chapters and journal articles, and won the best presenter award at Federation Dental Internationale in Poland in 2016.  Currently, she is teaching in and is undertaking a doctoral project on Improving “Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Rural Tasmania.” at the University of Tasmania.

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Eric Gubesch

Generating renewable energy from ocean waves.

Eric is  investigating the effect mooring systems have on the performance and survivability of a floating offshore wave energy converter.  He will introduce different types of wave energy converters with a focus on the oscillating water column type, and address the challenge of designing a device that consistently generates power while surviving extreme waves.

Eric’s qualifications include Bachelor of Ocean Engineering and Bachelor of Education and he is currently a PhD candidate at the Australian Maritime College.

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Kate Edwards

Exercise induced gut damage and the estrobolome: does periodisation matter

Gut function is of critical importance to athletes. Mechanistic data indicates oestrogen impacts upon intestinal function and integrity but there is a paucity of data relating to female athletes. This research investigates the connection between exercise induced gut damage, oestrogen and the gut microbiome and how it may impact female health and performance.

Kate completed her MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition at the University of Westminster in London and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania. Her current research focuses on the interactions between exercise induced gut damage, the microbiome and oestrogen in endurance athletes.

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Generously supported by  

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday July 25, 2021, at 1.30pm, by Dr John Whittington.

He will deliver a lecture on “Growing Australia’s Blue Economy“.

You may, if you wish, attend the lecture in person ​at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk, No prior registration or notification is necessary.

Alternatively, you may view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must register in advance to ensure that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

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In the context of increasing populations and prosperity and a changing climate, global demand for food and energy will increase.  Australia, with one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones in the world, has enormous potential to increase seafood and renewable energy production sustainably. Realising this potential requires moving industries offshore into high quality but remote and exposed high-energy operating environments.   This talk will focus on how the Blue Economy CRC is addressing these challenges to facilitate a step change in the value of Australia’s ocean-based aquaculture and renewable energy industries. 

John has a PhD from the University of Adelaide and worked at the State University of New York before returning to Australia where he worked for several Universities and CSIRO. He then spent a number of years in the Public Service, most recently as Secretary of the Department of Primary Industries Parks Water and Environment, and is now the CEO of the newly established Blue Economy CRC.

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Generously supported by  

A public lecture to celebrate the centenary of the Northern Branch of the Royal Society of Tasmania

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The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 27th June 2021 at 1.15pm by geologist and mineralogist, Ralph Bottrill.

He will deliver a lecture entitled “What made Tasmania?“.

If you wish to attend the lecture in person ​at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk, you must register in advance due to COVID rules. You can do so by sending an email to apcachris@gmail.com or by phone on 0417 330 118. Do so early to guarantee a seat.

Alternatively you may view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must also register in advance in ZOOM. This has nothing to do with COVID. It simply ensures that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

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To commemorate the inaugural meeting of the Northern Branch on 27 June 1921 delivered by the Government Geologist, Loftus-Hills, this lecture will revisit the subject of geology but with the focus on developments in Tasmanian geology.

The geology of Tasmania is very ancient, complex, highly mineralised and controversial, and most of the west was poorly understood, until in recent decades the mapping, dating and information compilation coordinated by the Tasmanian Geological Survey (Mineral Resources Tasmania) has enabled us to get much greater understanding, and produce detailed maps of most of it, despite the largely difficult terrain and complexity.

Ralph Bottrill has an MSc in geology, and is a geologist and mineralogist, living near Hobart. He has worked for 36 years at Mineral Resources Tasmania where he manages the labs and rock collections and studies various Tasmanian mineral deposits, rocks and minerals. He is also an associate curator for minerals with the Tasmanian Museum and the Queen Victoria Museum.

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Generously supported by  

The lecture on April 25, 2021, by Dr Christine Hansen, is now available on the RST YouTube channel. Read more about the lecture here.

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 23 May 2021 at 1.30pm by Dr Jennifer Lavers.

She will deliver a lecture on “Impact of Plastics on Marine Wildlife“.

If you wish to attend the lecture in person you must register in advance due to COVID rules. You can do so by sending an email to apcachris@gmail.com or by phone on 0417 330 118. Do so early to guarantee a seat.

Alternatively you may view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must also register in advance in ZOOM. This has nothing to do with COVID. It simply ensures that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

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Plastic has only been mass produced since approximately the 1950s, yet debris is now ubiquitous in aquatic and terrestrial environments, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Remarkably, the impact all this debris is having on species, habitats, and the ecosystem as a whole is poorly understood. Much of what we do know has been documented for seabirds and remote islands.

The presentation will highlight Australia’s contributions to this emerging and important field of research.

Dr Lavers is a Lecturer in Marine Science at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania. Her research focuses on understanding how remote islands and seabirds can act as bio-indicators of ocean health, particularly in relation to plastic pollution. She teaches a number of ecology-focused courses and coordinates Adrift Lab, a team of scientists who mentor graduate students through the research process.

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Generously supported by  

The lecture on February 28, 2021, by Professor David Bowman, is now available on the RST YouTube channel. Read more about the lecture here.

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 25 April 2021 at 1.30pm by Dr Christine Hansen.

She will deliver a lecture on “Telling the stories of kanamaluka, the Tamar River“.

To view remotely via ZOOM: Register in advance by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

To attend the lecture in person: Due to COVID restrictions, registration will be required – by phone 0417 330 118
or email to apcachris@gmail.com

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

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kanamaluka/Tamar River (estuary) is a fascinating water way: a complex ecosystem, a unique hydrological phenomenon and a major factor in the founding of Launceston. It is also a magnet for passionate debate and strong opinion. While discussion about its future rages in public, behind the scenes QVMAG is preparing a new gallery that celebrates life above and below the water.

Dr Christine Hansen is the current Manager of Knowledge and Content at QVMAG.  She arrived in Launceston from Sweden where she was a scholar in the Centre for Environmental Humanities at Gothenburg University and worked for the Swedish National Museum of World Cultures.  She has a PhD in History from the Australian National University and these days proudly calls herself a ‘Tasmanian.’

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Generously supported by  

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture by Professor Katie Flanagan, on Sunday March 28, 2021, at 1:15 pm. The lecture will commence at 1.30 pm following the branch Annual General Meeting.

The lecture will take place at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk.

If you intend to attend in person: Due to COVID restrictions, registration will be required – phone 0417 330 118 or email apcachris@gmail.com

To view remotely via ZOOM: Register in advance by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

To download a flyer for printing, click here.

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Katie is a world-renowned clinician scientist, Head of Infectious Diseases at LGH and a Professor at UTAS, RMIT and Monash Universities. She is Honorary Secretary of the Australian Society for Infectious Diseases, chairs their Vaccination Special Interest Group, is a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, and chairs their COVID-19 Vaccine Utilisation and Prioritisation Subgroup.

Her talk will discuss the platform technologies being used to design COVID-19 vaccines, candidates in preclinical and clinical trials and phase 3 trial efficacy results. It will then discuss the progress globally with COVID-19 vaccine rollout and the Australian COVID-19 strategy and program in more detail. It will conclude with discussing next-generation vaccines including those against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

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Generously supported by