Dr Kiri Beilby to represent electorate as STA STEM Ambassador

Dr Kiri Beilby

Congratulations to Dr Kiri Beilby from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology who has been selected for the Science & Technology Australia (STA) STEM Ambassador Program.

STA announced last Thursday 16 STEM Ambassadors who will work together with their local MP to help bridge the gap between science and government. The program enables federal politicians to gain a deeper understanding of the potential impact of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Australia.

Dr Beilby will represent the electorate of Hotham in Melbourne’s south-east and will work with Labour MP Clare O’Neil to build associations between parliament and the broader STEM sector.

As a reproductive biologist, Dr Beilby has an education focus within the School and is senior lecturer and course coordinator of the Graduate Diploma in Reproductive Science offered through the Department of O&G’s Education Program in Reproduction and Development (EPRD). Dr Beilby is also working closely with a dedicated team in the Department to establish a public fertility clinic model, and is currently supervising two PhD students.

With a strong belief in quality of access to care, Dr Beilby hopes that her role as STA Ambassador will give her greater insights into how State and Federal governance can be positively influenced to improve the health of our entire community.

As a member of the executive board of directors for the Australian Society of Medical Researchers (ASMR), Dr Beilby also advocates strongly for higher levels of transparent funding for medical research, and for more permanent positions within medical research so that scientists can feel secure in their occupations and focus on the task at hand.

Following the STA announcement, Dr Beilby said, “I'm incredibly excited and humbled to have been chosen as an STA Ambassador. This is an exciting and important initiative that Science and Technology Australia have dedicated a lot of time and effort to. I'm looking forward to working with STA, my fellow ambassadors and Claire O'Neil to form stronger partnerships between the scientific and political sectors.”