Some Blonde Scientist
Dr Georgia Atkin-Smith
Australian scientist and
passionate science advocate
Some Blonde Scientist
Dr Georgia Atkin-Smith
Australian scientist and
passionate science advocate
About me
Some Blonde Scientist I Dr Georgia Atkin-Smith
I am a Cell Biologist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research working under the mentorship of A/Prof Edwin Hawkins and A/Prof Ivan Poon. By using high resolution imaging approaches and pre-clinical models, my research aims to explore the death, disassembly and clearance of cells under inflammatory settings. I currently co-supervise x3 PhD students at the WEHI and the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science.
I completed a Bachelor of Biotechnology and Cell Biology (first class Honours), followed by a PhD in Biochemistry under the supervision of A/Prof Ivan Poon and Prof Mark Hulett at La Trobe University. My PhD project investigated how dying monocytes (key white blood cells) undergo a dramatic dance of death and fragment into abundant small pieces called apoptotic bodies. At the conclusion of my PhD in 2019, my research uncovered key regulators of this process, it's role in dying cell removal and infectious disease, and developed novel tools we can use to study the cell death process.
In addition to working at the lab bench, I am a passionate science advocate and public speaker. I believe all scientists have a responsibility to communicate what we do, and communicate it honestly. To aid the transparency of science and make it more accessible, I frequently partake in outreach opportunities and document my life as a scientist as Some Blonde Scientist on Instagram. The world is what it is today because of science and we need the next generation to know just how life-changing being a scientist can be.
News!
Launch of the Australasian Cell Death Society and more!
The ACDS is here!
Some people made sour dough, others, home renos. However, my free time in the COVID lockdowns was spent developing the first Australian-lead society dedicated to cell death research. The Australasian Cell Death Society (ACDS) is an international society, now with over 250 members from across the globe. We aim to create a supportive and collaborative cell death community and aid the professional development of upcoming researchers. Thank you to our sponsors and Pioneer board who have been indispensable in bringing this vision to life. Sign up and find out more information here!
Cell death in the Swiss Alps
It was an absolute dream to travel to the Gordon Research Conference on Cell Death in Les Diablerets, Switzerland in May, 2022. Between networking on mountain hikes or peer bonding on snow-covered glaciers, it was an incredible opportunity to meet some of the all-time legends in the field and present my research. Special thanks to the WEHI Postdoc Association for their financial support to assist this trip - best. conference. ever.
Grants Galore!
I am thrilled to receive an NHMRC Emerging Leadership 1 Investigator Grant to support the next five years of my independent research at the WEHI. In addition, my 2022 research is supported by a Jack Brockhoff Early Career Medical Research Grant. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to these funding bodies for supporting my research vision, and thank all my mentors, colleagues and the research grants team for their extensive support.
Editorial Board
I am looking forward to shining a light on exciting new research through my recent appointment on the Editorial Board of Cell Death and Disease (IF 9). Check out more about CDD press, the latest breakthroughs and more here.
Stay tuned for more news and thank you for your support,
G.
