Events and Outreach

Parasites in Focus

Twenty-six superb photographic prints showing the amazing microscopic world of the parasite accompanied by three hands-on parasite exhibits.

Parasite game show "Who's my host?" this exhibit has six animals sitting around a screen where the game show host invites "celebrity" parasites and the visitor has to select the correct host for each parasite. The other two exhibits allow visitors to explore lots of different parasites found in Australia and around the world using "The microscopic world of parasites" which is a "virtual microscope" where visitors select a parasite type, eg "animal parasites", and select a parasite, eg "tapeworm", and then can use the virtual microscope to zoom in to different sections of the parasite, and "Bring your own parasite" where visitors use a real medium-powered light microscope to examine parasites embedded in resin, eg "roundworm". Accompanying the exhibits are twenty-six superb colour photographic prints showing the amazing microscopic world of the parasite including up close images of head lice, ticks, fleas, fish parasites, tapeworms and organisms that cause malaria.

currently on display at

Parasite photographs and "Who's my host" game show

Two microscope exhibits to look at parasites close-up

Would you like to host "Parasites in Focus" exhibits? Email Lisa for more details.

Past Events

ASP Schools Program - Art Science and Parasites

The ASP supported two competitions for school students as part of the ICOPA XII outreach activities.

The Art of the Bodysnatchers competition Where school students could draw/paint/design or computer generate their own version of a parasite - luscious-looking lice, heinous hydatids, tenacious tapeworms, or their own abstract parasitic interpretation.....

and

The ASP ran a "Parasites in Focus" online quiz for school students which has closed. For copies of the quiz email Lisa (lisa.jones@uts.edu.au).

In addition, "Parasites in Focus" hands-on exhibition, was on display at the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC), The University High School, Parkville, Melbourne from Saturday 7th – Thursday 12th August 2010 and during that week GTAC ran a very successful Parasite Workshop day for school students.

'Itchies and Scratchies' parasite quiz show
Sunday 12 July 2009 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm, at the Footbridge Theatre, The University of Sydney

For a whole host of parasite questions and more the ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology and the Australian Society for Parasitology present a lively and entertaining parasite quiz show 'Itchies and Scratchies'. Which of the two panels knows most about the bizarre world of parasites? Bring family and friends to this free public event and visit our 'Parasites in Focus' photography exhibition and hands-on exhibition' on display in the Refectory, Holme Building, The University of Sydney before 'Itchies and Scratchies'.

Dr Sheila Donnelly (UTS) presented "Revenge of the Bodysnatchers " as part of 2008 National Science Week

Thursday 28 July 2008 from 6 until 8pm at The Muse Gallery

Parasites have snatched our bodies! Parasites infect billions of people worldwide, mostly in under-developed countries. Parasites can multiple their numbers at a phenomenal rate, for example liver and blood flukes can produce 30,000 off-spring per hour! Sheila described how scientists will combat these parasites in her gory presentation. This event was supported by the ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology and UTS.

National Science Week 2007

Network Scientists based at IBID, UTS have been involved in more Outreach activities in 2007; Dr Kate Miller (IBID, UTS) and Lisa Jones (Network) have been running hands-on parasite workshops and interactive displays for students of all ages and the general public whilst Dr Sheila Donnelly (IBID, UTS) has been presenting her fascinating and gory "Revenge of the Body Snatchers" talk for high school students as part of Science in the City.

The Network's first free public event "Hypothetical - global warming and parasites" was held at the Great Hall, Parliament House, Wednesday 11th July 2007, 600 - 730pm.

This entertaining event was hosted by Robyn Williams (ABC), scientists and policy makers debated global warming and the effects on parasites - whether rising temperatures will lead to the spread of deadly and debilitating parasitic diseases in Australia.

This lively hypothetical debate was hosted by the ABC's Robyn Williams and included an expert panel of scientists, legislators and politicians:

• Senator Lyn Allison, Leader of the Democrats and spokesperson for Education; Health and Ageing; Resources, Energy and Infrastructure; Treasury and Commonwealth-State Relations.
• Dame Bridget Ogilvie, Companion to the Order of Australia for services to science policy and parasitology. Former chief of the Wellcome Trust and researcher on parasite immunology.
• Lieutenant Colonel Bob Cooper, Director of the Army Malaria Institute.
• Prof Bart Currie, Head of the Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases Division at the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, Senior Infectious Diseases Physician at Royal Darwin Hospital and Professor in Medicine at the Northern Territory Clinical School, Flinders University.
• Dr Peter Daszak, Executive Director of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine in the U.S.A.
• Dr Eva Bennet-Jenkins, acting CEO of the Australian Pesticide & Veterinary Medicines Authority.

Download the flyer for more information.

"Parasites, Conservation, and Evolutionary Ecology; Connecting some disparate threads" 21 and 22 June 2007

This two day symposium, to help celebrate Prof Mike Bull's 60th birthday, was held at Flinders University, South Lecture Theatre 3. Guest speakers included:

• Prof Rick Shine
• A/Prof Scott Keogh
• Prof Ian Beveridge
• A/Prof David Gordon
• Prof Chris West
• Prof Charlie Daugherty
• Prof Ross Alford
• Prof Steve Donnellan
• Prof Hugh Possingham
• Prof Mats Olsson
• A/Prof David Paron

Download the symposium flyer for more information.

Travel Bugs - Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 7pm

ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology members based at QIMR held "Travel Bugs", an informative and entertaining public event on parasites, travellers' health and tropical diseases, on Tuesday 27 March 2007.

Our thanks go to all the speakers on the night:

• Prof Nick Smith on the ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology
• Prof Michael Good on malaria
• Dr Malcolm Jones on schistosomes
• Dr Alex Loukas on hookworms
• Ms Charlene Willis on scabies
• Dr Jacqui Upcroft on Giardia

There were many highlights from the night including learning the ABCD of malaria protection (Awareness of risk, Bite avoidance, Chemoprophylaxis and Diagnosis made promptly) and Jacqui’s warning of the perils of drinking margaritas in Mexico.  The discussion panel was a great success with the audience appreciating the opportunity to ask the experts about everything parasitological. 

Travel Bugs is the first in a number of ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology public programs planned for the future and has provided a wonderful platform from which to further grow our public outreach program.

Public lectures help the ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology meet one of its aims in promoting Australia as a centre for parasitic research.  Utilising these opportunities to showcase the hard work of Australian parasitologists is a perfect way to engage a curious public. 

For more information download the "Travel Bugs" event poster or flyer (with map included)

National Science Week 2006

To celebrate National Science Week 2006 Network scientists have been involved in the Australian Museum's Science in the City activites and the Ultimo Science Festival.

Dr Dave Jenkins, the Director of the Australian Hydatid Control and Epidemiology Program gave Museum guests a fascinating insight into the world of Echinococcus granulosus, a potentially deadly species of tapeworm, during Twilight Science.

Dr Sheila Donnelly, a scientist from the University of Technology, Sydney, gave a gorey presentation "Combating the Body Snatchers" revealing to students how Helminths, or worms, have snatched our bodies - they consume blood or tissue so they can produce large numbers of off-spring. Liver and blood flukes can produce 30,000 off-spring per hour! But their best trick is how they alter the host immune system to ensure they are not expelled....

Dr Catherine Miller, Dr Rowena Lock, Robert Walker, Kelly Mai, Michael Lees, and A/Prof Nick Smith, scientists from IBID, University of Technology, Sydney, were all on-hand to help Lisa Jones at the Network's parasitology exhibition stand that gave 7,000 students and their teachers a close look at some parasites and a chance to "pin the parasite on a person".