Keynote Speakers 2008

Dr Cordelia Fine

Dr Cordelia Fine is an academic psychologist, freelance writer and the author of A mind of its own: How your brain distorts and deceives. Described as “that rare academic who’s also an excellent writer (Library Journals) and a “cognitive neuroscientist with a sharp sense of humour” (The Times); she has received much review praise for showcasing the deception of the brain in a way that is clear, accessible and entertaining. 

Dr Fine studied Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, followed by an M.Phil in Criminology at Cambridge University. She was awarded a Ph.D in Psychology from University College London. She is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE) at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Dr Jilly Evans

Jilly Evans is a New Zealander educated in rural New Zealand schools and then at Auckland University in Cell Biology and Biochemistry. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of British Columbia in 1978 working with Michael Smith who won the Nobel Prize in 1993 for the development of site-specific mutagenesis.

Dr Evans carried out her post doctoral research in the department of Biochemistry at McGill University before joining Merck Frosst Canada in 1983 to work on anti-asthmatic drugs. She took part in the discovery of 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), a target for leukotriene synthesis inhibitors, and the development of the CysLT1 receptor antagonist, Singulair.  Jilly enjoyed her 4 years as an adjunct professor in the Department of Biochemistry teaching first year medical students their lipid biochemistry-particularly the section on leukotrienes and prostaglandins. Dr Evans was a lead biochemist in the Merck team that worked on COX-2 inhibitors, including Arcoxia. She led the Merck orphan GPCR ligand identification group for 5 years during which time they solved the identity of ligands for several orphan GPCRs including the motilin receptor and the CysLT1 and CysLT2 receptors. 

In mid 2005 Jilly left Merck after 21 years to become a founding member and lead biologist of Amira Pharmaceuticals a new biopharmaceutical company in San Diego. From mid 2005 to the present Amira Pharmaceuticals has rapidly developed small molecule compounds for clinical assessment in inflammatory diseases.

Geoff Henderson

Geoff Henderson is CEO and Director of Windflow Technology Ltd, a company which he and four other directors established in 2001 when they successfully raised equity funding to build the first Windflow turbine. 

This innovative wind turbine is breaking new ground in terms of design for fundamental fatigue load reduction, in particular gearbox loads, for synchronous generation and for local manufacturing. The first 500 kW Windflow turbine was completed near Christchurch in 2003, the first production batch of 5 turbines was completed in 2006 and the Company is now moving to continuous production of at least 5 turbines a month for a 97 turbine wind farm near Palmerston North. Geoff is a graduate of Canterbury University with an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. He graduated in 1981 and then spent 3 years working in Auckland for Worley Consultants Ltd as Energy Systems Engineer before heading overseas in 1984.

He spent seven years overseas which included 2 years working on wind farms in California and four and a half years in England for a wind power R&D company, Wind Energy Group Ltd. During this time he invented a system of power control, the Torque Limiting Gearbox system, for which he has patents in New Zealand and other countries. He became project engineer for Wind Energy Group’s flagship commercial wind turbine, the 33 m, 300 kW “MS3”. This involved managing the engineering design of all aspects of the turbine, including blades, drive-train, tower and electrical sub-assemblies. He was also project engineer in an R&D project testing the fatigue strength of blade-root joint between steel studs and the wood-epoxy blades.

He returned to NZ in 1991 to set up his own company, Wind Torque Limited to promote windmill manufacturing and provide consultancy services. In 1992 he set up another company, Aeolian Property Company Ltd, to purchase a prime piece of wind farming land in the Palmerston North area. In 1994 he received the Communications Award by the Institution of Professional Engineers NZ (IPENZ) for his “outstanding contribution to the public affairs of the Institution and the engineering profession as a proponent of wind power in New Zealand”.

His entrepreneurial efforts since 1991 have culminated in:

• the formation of Windflow Technology Ltd (now listed on the NZAX with a market capitalisation of about $30 million)
• the construction of the first Windflow turbines
• the establishment of an independent wind farm developer, NZ Windfarms Ltd which was floated through public share offerings in November 2005 and June 2007

He is a registered professional engineer in California and was recently made a Fellow of IPENZ. He was a founding director of the NZ Wind Energy Association.

Professor Fiona Stanley

Professor Fiona Stanley is the Founding Director of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research; Executive Director of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth; and Professor, School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia.

Trained in maternal and child health epidemiology and public health, Prof. Stanley has spent her career researching the causes of major childhood illnesses such as birth defects. Her major contribution has been to establish the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, a unique multidisciplinary independent research institute focussing on the causes and prevention of major problems affecting children and youth.

She sits on the (Australian) Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council as well as the Australian Statistics Advisory Council. For her research on behalf of Australia's children, she was named Australian of the Year in 2003 and in 2006 she was made a UNICEF Australia Ambassador for Early Childhood Development.

Not a keynote speaker, but certainly an important part of the 2008 Science Festival:

Chris Krishna-Pillay

Chris returned for the 2008 Science Festival with his new show called “Somnium – The Science of Sleep". Chris is one of Australia’s foremost science theatre proponents. His writing and performance credits include, the “Great Big Science Gig” (1 to 4), “Howard Florey – a Tale of Tall Poppies” and “Pre-Coital – the Science of Dating” (described by The Canberra Times as the “pick of the [Australian Science] Festival”). He was a science consultant for the new children’s television series “Wicked Science”, and has appeared on television on the “Today Show”, “Totally Wild” and “Scope” and is a regular guest on the popular radio programme "Einstein A Go Go".

Chris has experience in drama, musicals, stand-up comedy, film and television. He is frequently called upon as a speaker and has been an MC for countless events from orchestral concerts to corporate award presentations.

Chris is Manager of CSIRO Education Centre (Victoria) and Secretary of the National Science Week Victorian Coordinating Committee. CSIRO Education have face-to-face contact with more than 300,000 people every year, in a variety of programs for school students, teachers, and the public.

Chris' show: “Somnium – The Science of Sleep”

Sleep - we all do it and yet so much of it remains a mystery. How long should we sleep for, what do dreams mean, do babies dream, why do people sleep walk, why do we sleep at all? When we close our eyes and slide into that other existence, we enter a world steeped in folklore and superstition, a world that is as strange as it is fascinating.

Like any of the great mysteries of humanity, scientists have studied sleep for generations. As our understanding has grown and technology developed, more and more has become known about the sub-conscious brain. Catch up with the research and have a giggle.

Brought to you by Chris KP (Pre-Coital, Great Big Science Gig) Somnium is a hilarious new science cabaret show exploring the science of sleep. With songs, comedy, and multimedia this is the truth as we know it, in its most entertaining form. Laugh, think and wonder, and go home with something to really dream about.