Biography:

Julia Martin has worked as a communicator and policy advisor in government, non-government and research organisations including the Reserve Bank of Australia, NSW Cabinet Office and the Social Policy Research Centre. She is the researcher and author of the recent Inspiring Australia report, Inspiring Industry to Inspire Australia: Business and Science Outreach, and The humanities, arts and social sciences and public science engagement in Australia (www.chass.org.au/papers). Dr Martin has also produced Plain English guides to medical consent and decision-making in clinical settings; information products for people with low literacy; and was for four years Director of Streetwize Communications, a company specialising in communicating legal and medical information to marginalised groups. Coming from a humanities background, Dr Martin is particularly interested in how language, culture and literacy influence uptake of scientific information, and in developing ways to optimise two-way communication between scientists and non-scientists.

Presentations:

• Business and industry communities and controversy what role does science communication play in public engagement?