ABout US
OmniSci Magazine is a science magazine at UniMelb, run entirely by students, for students. Our team consists of talented feature writers, columnists, editors, graphics designers, social media and web development officers, all passionate about communicating science!
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Meet The Team
Editors-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief
Sophia Lin
Sophia (she/her) is a third-year Mechatronics and French student with an endless appreciation for the way that STEM impacts our lives - an appreciation she loves to share! She is passionate about creating a platform where people can share their thoughts on STEM, and improve their writing! Outside of uni, Sophia works with a team of student engineers to design, build and launch a nanosatellite. She loves music, spending time outdoors and all things marine! Sophia lives by the philosophy of trying new things, which has recently included scuba diving and sailing!
Editor-in-Chief
Maya Salinger
Maya (she/her) is a third year doing a Bachelor of Arts. She is double majoring in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, and Japanese Studies. After her BA, Maya wishes to study a Masters of Speech Pathology with the hopes of having a career in the discipline in a few years to come. With a great passion for science and language, Maya wants to encourage everyone to build their skills in communicating and understanding the incredible scientific developments that are occurring everyday all over the world. In her spare time, Maya likes to read historical fiction, play board and card games with family, and hang out with friends.
Editor-in-Chief
Patrick Grave
Patrick (he/him) is a second year Bachelor of Science student who's probably going to major in Statistics with a diploma in computing. He likes messing around with computers, reading science magazines - Cosmos, New Scientist, Scientific American - and believes that all people should have the place and skills to share their passions with the world - science, art, or otherwise. When he's not annoying his mates with strange rabbitholes and terrible music, you might see Patrick getting lost on a run, planning another adventure in the great outdoors, or just digging into a good book.
Editor-in-Chief
Felicity Hu
Felicity (she/her) is a first year Science student with very little idea of what she hopes to do in the future, but enjoys branching out to new things-- such as help start a science magazine! She believes that science has a role to play in everyone's lives regardless of their field of study, and sees science communication to be the bridge between academics and the general population. Outside of uni, she also enjoys trying new restaurants/cafes, learn about philosophy and history, discovering new music and watching anime!
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Editors
Editor
Yen
Yen is a third year Bachelor of Science student majoring in Cell and Developmental Biology. She is strongly passionate about the Sciences and wishes to pursue a career in medicine. Outside of university life and work, Yen loves to write poetry (her first published poetry book is Stardust), read (her favourite hobby), advance her proficiency in other languages (French and Chinese at the moment) and do martial arts (Aikido, JiuJitsu, Judo).
Editor
Jessica Nguy
Jessica (she/her) is a first year Biomedicine student who is passionate about spreading awareness about the current health issues around the world. She looks forward to working with the OmniSci team to share informative and exciting science articles. Outside of uni studies, Jessica enjoys baking, listening to music and catching up with friends over good food.
Editor
Breana Galea
Breana (she/her) is a second year Bachelor of Science student majoring in Biotechnology, specialising in Genetics and Biochemistry. With an interest in coding, she is fascinated by the integration of biology and technology. She is keen to pursue a career in academia or industry and is trying to gain experience in each sector to decide which one would best suit her. Nearly all of her breadth subjects are literature- or writing-related and she is also the Blog Editor for Women in STEMM Australia. In her free time, Breana enjoys getting a breath of fresh air on walks, watercolouring or watching the epic adventures of Dimension 20 (Dungeons & Dragons channel).
Editor
Khoa Tran
Khoa (he/him) is a first year Biomedicine student interested in translational research, hoping to pursue a career as a clinician-scientist. He is passionate about health equity and saw OmniSci as the perfect opportunity to promote accessible scientific communication. As an interstate student from Brisbane, Khoa can usually be seen exploring Melbourne restaurants, photographing streetscapes and winding back through greenery walks.
Editor
Katherine Tweedie
Katherine (she/her) is in her final year of the Master of Publishing and Communications. Having done her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science, she has a large interest in scientific communications and accessibility. When she’s not studying, she can be found at the local library or spending time with her cat, who doubles as a personal assistant.
Editor and Issue 2 Feature Writer
Andrew Lim
Andrew (he/him) is a first year undergraduate Physics and Classics (Latin) student, deeply intrigued by the connections between seemingly disparate fields and their potential to change the ways in which we live, work, and learn. He believes passionately in the importance of pursuing knowledge for its own sake and not merely for an industrial or applicable end – and, therefore, in the necessity of scientists communicating the joys of discovery to the public. Outside editing and feature writing at OmniSci, Andrew serves as Education Officer (aedile) in the University of Melbourne Classics and Archaeology Society, and, beyond the university, he can be found eking out tunes on the piano and violin, coaching debating teams or nose deep in well-thumbed pages (terse prose, florid poetry, and everything in between!).
Editor
Niesha Baker
This is Niesha (she/her), a second year undergraduate majoring in Genetics. She is absolutely in LOVE with anything science but has a ginormous obsession with emerging and untapped fields. In particular, genetics and space... the final frontier □. She wants to pursue 'space genetics', inspire big ideas and connect her passion for science with business pursuits. She believes in making the science industry less scary and more accessible, and encouraging all generations to feel safe to dream big and take steps towards those goals. Outside of the study desk, she's forming more than a few bruises pursuing volleyball, challenging herself to become more present/self-aware and is tapping into her creativity with drawing and interpretive bogeying/singing in the shower.
Editor
Mia Horsfall
Mia (she/her) is a first year undergraduate student studying Mathematical Physics and a Diploma of Computing. She is interested in the intersection of Physics and ethics, examining the role science has to play in political and legal spheres. In the future, she hopes to pursue further study in the field of Quantum Physics. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and going on long walks to pet dogs!
Editor
Ethan Newnham
Ethan (he/him) is studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. He has a specific interest in biosciences, along with the philosophy of science and the role that science plays in a healthy society. If you had a drink together, he'd probably steer the conversation towards determinsim or universal darwinism. The editing role at OmniSci is perfect for Ethan, as he loves language and thinking about how different audiences receive information. Outside of science, Ethan enjoys playing chess and flipping on the trampoline!
Editor
Irene Lee
Irene is a second year undergraduate Biochemical sciences student. She wants to pursue a career in biomedical research or medicine but is still exploring other pathways. As she progressed through her degree, she found that there is endless information in variety of disciplines to be absorbed and that there is never an enough in doing so. Thus, she values platforms that allow easy access to information ranging all the way from biology to astrology. In her spare time she enjoys napping with her kitten and listens to music.
Editor and Issue 2 Feature Writer
Hamish Payne
Hamish is a second year Bachelor of Science student, majoring in physics. Currently, he is considering a few different career paths but is eternally spurred on by the prospect of learning more and finds the interdisciplinary aspects of science particularly enticing. As well as science, Hamish is passionate about literature and languages, enjoys cycling, is an avid gardener and keeps his life full with a myriad of music.
Editor
Juulke Castelijn
Juulke (she/her) is working towards her long-term goal of completing a Bachelor degree in Neuroscience after being inspired by the one and only McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy (who hasn't?!). More seriously, she loves the mystery that still surrounds this incredibly complex natural object and hopes to one day contribute to answering one of the biggest questions in our world: how does the brain work? A twin passion is sharing this knowledge with others, which is why she signed up to contribute to the OmniSci team. Apart from studying and daydreaming, Juulke likes to explore new places to knit nerdy cushion covers, hike to new places and drink chai lattes whilst reading the Harry Potter books (again).
Editor and Issue 2 Feature Writer
Caitlin Kane
Caitlin (she/her) is a Bachelor of Science (Honours) student studying microbiology and epidemiology at the Royal Women's Hospital. That involves researching how public health strategies are affecting diseases in Australia by testing clinical samples and analysing vaccination data. When not enthusing about how fun science is, she can be found slathering on sunscreen for a walk to someplace green, reading about interesting people and places, or watching something with pristine entertainment value.
Editor
Ruby Dempsey
Ruby (she/her) is a 3rd year Chemistry and German student, hoping to improve people's lives through science. She believes research should be communicated in an informative and accessible manner to inspire scientists, students and society at large. Outside of study, Ruby loves teaching group fitness classes at the gym, learning languages and playing card games with her friends.
Editor
Sam Williams
Sam is a third year Science student keenly interested in the intersection of human behaviour and computation. He would appreciate a research career creating dollar-store versions of the human brain on his laptop but wouldn't be averse to dabbling in the physical sciences on the side. When it comes to science communication, Sam appreciates clarity and conciseness almost as much as a first year essay marking guide, and hopes to help inspired science writers bring their ideas to life for new readers. If you can't find him at his desk, he'll probably be running, or selling running kicks to some other overly keen bean.
Column Writers
Column Writer
Renee Papaluca
Renee (she/her) is currently completing the final year of her Bachelor of Science, majoring in Physiology. She is fascinated by how the body works and how its systems adapt to everyday challenges. She is also passionate about promoting diversity in STEM and making possible careers in science seem more accessible to readers through her column 'Humans of UniMelb'. Outside of uni-related activities, you'll find Renee at home with her 13-year-old Labrador Nitro or her nose in a good book.
Column Writer
Manthila Ranatunga
Manthila (he/him) is a third year undergraduate Mechatronics Engineering student who loves robotics. He wants to pursue a career in robotics and automation and believes in making industrial work environments safer and more efficient. Outside of uni, Manthila can be found tinkering with electronics, coding up little programs, or hiking with friends.
Column Writer
Sonia Truong
Sonia (she/her) is a first year Biomedicine student with an interest in global and environmental health. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and exploring local walks.
Column Writer
Zachary Holloway
Zach (he/him) is a second-year undergrad BSci student, majoring in physics and hoping to later pursue a career in aerospace engineering. His passion for writing and for explaining science brought him straight to OmniSci, where he hopes he can inspire in other people the same love for science that he has. When he's not immersed in his studies (diligent student that he is), the first place to look for him would be working at his local Woolworths, where, for some reason, they always seem to be understaffed whenever they call him. Otherwise, he can be found listening to any sort of music that takes his fancy, voraciously reading or even just messing around on the guitar.
Column Writer
Rachel Ko
Rachel (she/her), a second year undergraduate Biomedicine student, is an avid science enthusiast, with a passion for writing. Making the most of her pre-med years, she is currently pursuing research experience in the lab, which she hopes to continue into the future, intertwined with her career in medicine. Science and writing are her two greatest passions, and she is excited to combine these in creating and collaborating within the university community. Rachel's column, and illustrations, aim to bring science into everyday life, widening the scope of readers to make science more approachable and enjoyable by all.
Column Writer
Grace Law
Grace is an Honours student in biological sciences who has made the lab her home. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her degree yet, which is why she is trying everything, including science communication. Her interests lie in the health and biological sciences, especially molecular genetics. But she also wants to explore how science is portrayed in the news, the law, and policy-making. When Grace gets a chance to leave the lab, she likes to go for walks, cook and bake, play her marimba, and take photos while travelling the world.
Column Writer
Lily McCann
Lily (she/her) is a third year undergraduate studying a major in Human Structure and Function. Hoping to follow a career in medicine or medical research, Lily loves to explore the intersections between science and daily life and how the former shapes our view of the world and our place within it. Between coffees, Lily loves reading, going for socially-distanced walks and chilling with her dogs.
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Issue 2 Feature Writers
Feature Writer
Dominika Pasztetnik
Dominika is third year science student majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She wants to share her passion for science by pursuing a career in secondary education. In her spare time Dominika enjoys curling up with a good book, playing the piano or exploring the Australian wilderness.
Feature Writer
Hannah Savage
Hannah recently completed her Bachelor of Science while on exchange from Otago, New Zealand. Studying a Geography major alongside a Communications minor developed her interest in communicating science to public audiences. She is fascinated by weather and motivated to participate in the climate movement while leaning on creativity as a power asset.
Outside of university, she enjoys painting, visiting markets and galleries, and going on beach road trips. She has dreams to travel the globe and plans to book many overseas adventures when this becomes safer.
Feature Writer
Monica Blasioli
Monica (she/her) is a first year Bachelor of Science student.
She is passionate about health and immunology, and hopes to work in the health care or medical field in the future. Monica is also interested in science communication, and hopes to use her knowledge of science to make the field more accessible for all.
In her spare time, Monica enjoys playing the piano, reading, spending time with her dog, and of course, sharing cool biology facts with her friends and family.
Feature Writer
Erin Grant
Erin (she/her) is a third year PhD student in the Physical Biosciences at the University of Melbourne. She is passionate about sharing her love of science with the general public through written communication and illustration, which she shares on her blog (theartinscience.com) and various online platforms. When not in the lab she can be found out on a run or at home making new art.
![IMG_8190[8373]b - Xen Papas.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/190d0c_338ab587371b4a89a747c5487b32b520~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_27,w_1764,h_1299/fill/w_455,h_335,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_8190%5B8373%5Db%20-%20Xen%20Papas.jpg)
Feature Writer
Xenophon Papailiadis
Xen (he/him) is in his fourth year of undergraduate Science study, pursuing a major in Physics and a concurrent Diploma in Music. He aspires to pursue further studies in astrophysics and quantum physics, and perhaps one day uncover the secrets of the universe. Xen is passionate about science education and asides from tutoring high school students, he also enjoys taking part in the In2Science program, encouraging high schoolers to follow their aspirations and studies in the sciences. When not reciting the Schrodinger equation by heart, Xen likes to spend his time reading and ruminating about the ancient world, cracking open a fresh box of LEGO, or busting out some Bach and Beethoven for practice. His cats, Cinnamon and Sugar, come along for the ride.
Feature Writer
Mia Horsfall
Mia (she/her) is a first year undergraduate student studying Mathematical Physics and a Diploma of Computing. She is interested in the intersection of Physics and ethics, examining the role science has to play in political and legal spheres. In the future, she hopes to pursue further study in the field of Quantum Physics. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and going on long walks to pet dogs!
Graphic Designers
Graphic Designer
Quynh Anh Nguyen
Quynh Anh Nguyen is a second year Bachelor of Science student at the University of Melbourne. She wanted to become an animator when she was younger. But life sucker punched her in the stomach so hard she had to reevaluate her life choices. She now majors in Computing and Software System, and spends her free time occasionally drawing.
Graphic Designer
Aisyah Mohammad Sulhanuddin
Heyo! Aisyah here. I'm a first year undergrad Science student looking to major in Climate and Weather. Aside from that, I'm interested the science-y and the technical, as well as all things artistic and creative. So basically... everything. Hah! In particular, I love old 'n' bold minimalist fashion, aesthetics and music, and am forever drawn to the wacky and surrealist side of life. Here's to OmniSci for allowing me a space to mix my passions!
Graphic Designer
Casey Boswell
Casey (she/her) is a second year undergraduate Mechatronics Systems student with a passion for technology and design. She endeavours to do work in robotics / software development / design on impactful projects in future. She likes being a jack-of-all-trades to satiate her many interests and is an advocate of the STEAM philosophy (collaboration of science with art). Her main hobbies outside of uni include playing guitar, drawing and rollerblading / ice skating.
Graphic Designer
Jess Nguyen
Jess (she/her) is a first year in undergrad Bsci and nineteenth year in being alive. She is particularly interested in astronomy (because space is cool) and physics, and is maybe hoping to pursue a career in research, if she doesn't have a mid-life crisis somewhere along the way. Outside of uni she is either watching tiktok for 3 hours straight or strumming her out-of-tune ukulele. A fun fact is that she can play the trombone, and enjoys jazz just like Barry B Benson. Occasionally she draws.
Graphic Designer
Friday Kennedy
Friday (they/them/he) is a first year Master of Cultural Materials Conservation student and recently completed their Honours in Fine Arts. They love all things creative, and are particularly interested queer representation, and the relationship between science and art materiality. Friday's goals are to pursue a PhD, and to work to fortify and empower marginalised perspectives within historical and contemporary art contexts. Outside of uni life they enjoy daily walks in nature and are notorious for cooking the best vegan eggplant dishes.
Graphic Designer
Janna Dingle
Janna (She/her) is a first year Arts student with an interest in design and creativity, specifically within marketing and communication fields. Her previous experiences working with magazines have lead her to join Omnsci as a way to broaden her knowledge of the industry around her, especially when it comes to the science communication. Outside of University, Janna spends her time illustrating, taking care of her cats as well as watching anime. She has a great passion for art and media.
Graphic Designer
Gemma Van der Hurk
Gemma (she/her) is a third year Bachelor of Science student majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, driven by her passion for the history and interrelation of life on Earth, environmental preservation, genetics, green politics and philosophy. She's delighted to use her background in design, communications and the arts for the team at Omnisci magazine. Ultimately, she hopes to do some good in the world through research, authorship and science advocacy. Outside of University, you can find Gemma crooning to her cat, reading, writing, strolling along the Merri and sometimes even playing music to rooms full of people (when she is allowed to, that is).
Graphic Designer
Rohith S Prabhu
Rohith (he/him) just graduated from master of international business. He wants to pursue a career in growth and strategy consulting where he can use his prior engineering knowledge and current business acumen. He has worked in many renewable energy projects like solar vehicle, micro-hydro electric power plants etc. He is currently researching on a new-tech that would enable for real-time health monitoring as an extension to his earlier publications and prototype. Apart from academics Rohith can be found sketching architecture, comics etc. Art/illustration is an arena he has pursued as his passion since young age.
Social Media Officer
Che McGuire
Che is a third year Science student majoring in Physics. The decision to make a few YouTube videos one day has lead him to develop an interest in science communication. He believes that maths and physics have an unfair reputation of being difficult, and therefore wishes to eliminate this barrier to demonstrate how beautiful such areas of Science can be. Outside of studying, Che can be found playing video games, refereeing basketball, hanging out with the same 5 friends, and eating excessive amounts of chocolate.
Social Media Officers
Social Media Officer
Yvonne Le
Yvonne (she/they) is a first year Bachelor of Science student, interested in all things brain and chemical related. She’s not entirely sure what she wants to do in life, but loves learning new things and exploring new endeavours. When outside of Uni, they’re busy being an essential worker, listening to jazz or staring into space.
Social Media Officer
Janna Dingle
Janna (She/her) is a first year Arts student with an interest in design and creativity, specifically within marketing and communication fields. Her previous experiences working with magazines have lead her to join Omnsci as a way to broaden her knowledge of the industry around her, especially when it comes to the science communication. Outside of University, Janna spends her time illustrating, taking care of her cats as well as watching anime. She has a great passion for art and media.
Social Media Officer
Devia Kurniawan
Devia (she/her) is a third year Bachelor of Science student majoring in Chemical Biotechnology. She doesn't know what career to pursue yet, but aspire to make a positive impact on people's lives. She believes that science has the power to transform the way people live, be it through new technologies, renewable energy, or innovative medicines. Outside of uni, she enjoys trying new restaurants, baking, scrolling through TikTok and rewatching How I met Your Mother.
Social Media Officer
Che Mcguire
Che is a third year Science student majoring in Physics. The decision to make a few YouTube videos one day has lead him to develop an interest in science communication. He believes that maths and physics have an unfair reputation of being difficult, and therefore wishes to eliminate this barrier to demonstrate how beautiful such areas of Science can be. Outside of studying, Che can be found playing video games, refereeing basketball, hanging out with the same 5 friends, and eating excessive amounts of chocolate.
Social Media Officer
Celine Huang
Celine (she/her) is a first-year undergraduate student who is planning to major in Food Science. She is interested in café hunting and exploring new kinds of food (especially desserts!!!). After graduation, she wishes to pursue a career in the field of Research and Development at a food manufacturing company. She believes that nutrition has been underrated and that people should pay more attention to the nutrition of food eaten to improve public health - a balanced diet is key. Outside of studying, Celine could be found volunteering at charity events, at a bakery or cake shop indecisively deciding which to eat or at home, chilling a.k.a recharging as an introvert while enjoying her cup of tea.
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Web Development Officers
Web Development Officer and Feature 2 Writer
Sabine Elias
Sabine is a third year biomedicine student with a big interest in science research and communication. She is passionate about the development of innovative science and its technological applications within society.
Web Development Officer
Rebekka Krishtul
Rebekka is a second year undergraduate science student, majoring in physiology. She wants to pursue work in the field of medicine, hoping to become a doctor one day. She is thoroughly enjoying being part of the web-dev team at Omnisci, working to make science easily communicated to readers, and of course fun to look at. Outside of uni, she enjoys meeting friends, watching gorey medical shows, and listening to classical music.
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