In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Macquarie University
Balaclava Road
Sydney, New South Wales, 2114
Australia

Amal Awad

Amal Awad is a journalist, screenwriter and author. Her upcoming book is a work of non-fiction that delves into the world of new age, self-help and spirituality, due for release in 2020. Both producer and presenter for ABC Radio National, a panellist on ABC TV’s The Drum, Amal is interested in the representation of minorities in pop-culture.

Amy Thunig

Amy Thunig is a Gamilaroi woman who resides on the unceded lands of the Awabakal people, with her husband and their three young children. A qualified school teacher, Amy’s passion for teaching and desire to see structural change led her to move from the classroom to the become an academic engaged in research and teaching within higher education. An Associate Lecturer in the Department of Educational Studies at Macquarie University, Lecturing and researching in the area of Indigenous knowledges and formal education systems Amy is also a PhD candidate, currently writing her thesis ‘Indigenous academic women: why academia?’ Amy believes in disrupting colonial systems, and disseminating research widely and in accessible language. A freelance writer, media pundit, and Twitter addict, Amy has recently announced that she will be launching her podcast ‘Blacademia’ in late 2019.

Andrew Mallett

Andrew Mallet, a visionary in the field of renal genetics, works as the Staff Specialist Nephrologist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and is the Associate Professor at the University of Queensland. His research into renal genetics earned him the Churchill Fellowship. As the National Director of the KidGen Collaborative that combines 17 renal genetics clinics, and as the Co-Chair of the RBWH Clinical Council, he is working within Australian Genomics to progress his vision for the future of kidney health.

Blair Williams

Blair Williams, a regular federal political correspondent for Radio Adelaide, is interested in the gendered print media coverage of women prime ministers from English-speaking Westminster democracies. She has interviewed both Julia Gillard and Helen Clark and her research has been highly acclaimed and presented in international conferences.

Craig Foster

Craig Foster, a former Socceroo captain who played 29 times for Australia, is one of the most respected broadcasters (at SBS), commentators and contributors in the history of the game in the country. He works in the sphere of social justice through programs with refugee and indigenous children, using football to provide life opportunities. Craig is a refugee and human rights ambassador with Amnesty, sits on the Australia Committee for Human Rights Watch, Advisory Board of the Australian Institute of Human Rights, UNSW and the Australian Multicultural Council, Federal Government. He recently spearheaded a campaign to free a young player from Bangkok Remand Prison, Hakeem al-Araibi, creating a global movement and leading a coalition of organisations across sporting and human rights.

Debbie Haski-Leventhal

Debbie Haski-Leventhal is a Professor of Management at Macquarie Business School, an expert of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and volunteerism. Together with the United Nations PRME, she conducts studies on responsible management education. She has published over 100 papers and her work was covered many times by the media, including the New York Times. She is the author of ‘Strategic CSR’ and the upcoming book, 'The purpose-driven university'.

Enrico Coiera

Enrico Coiera is the Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Digital Health with 10 years’ experience at the prestigious HP Research Laboratories in the UK. In 2015, he was awarded the highest international award in his discipline, the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) François Grémy Award for Excellence.

Jac den Houting

Jac den Houting is a research psychologist and Autistic activist in pursuit of social justice. Jac currently holds the role of Postdoctoral Research Associate at Macquarie University in Sydney, working alongside Professor Liz Pellicano. In 2015, Jac was awarded an Autism CRC scholarship to complete their PhD through the Autism Centre of Excellence at Griffith University in Brisbane. Prior to this, they gained almost 10 years’ experience as a psychologist in the criminal justice system, with the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Corrective Services. Jac was identified as Autistic at the age of 25, and is proudly neurodivergent and queer. After participating in the inaugural Future Leaders Program at the 2013 Asia Pacific Autism Conference, Jac quickly became established as a strong advocate for the Autistic community. Jac is a current member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand (ASAN-AuNZ)’s Executive Committee, the Autism CRC’s Data Access Committee, Aspect’s LGBTQIA+ Autism Advisory Committee, and the Aspect Advisory Council.

Jeffrey Braithwaite

Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite is the Founding Director of Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Director of the Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, and Professor of Health Systems Research at Macquarie University. He is a board member and President Elect of the International Society for Quality in Health Care and consultant to the World Health Organisation. His research on the changing nature of health systems has attracted a funding of over 131 million AUD, and has earned him over 45 different national and international awards.

Karice Hyun

Karice Hyun is a National Heart Foundation Post-Doctorate Research Fellow and a Biostatistician at Westmead Applied Research Centre at the University of Sydney. A 2019 World Heart Federation Emerging Leader, her work deepens the understanding of health inequities in patients with chronic disease.

Leigh Staas

Leigh Staas works at the interface between academia, industry and government bodies to identify research gaps and opportunities to create smarter, greener cities through the integration of cutting-edge research to solve real-world problems.

Mark Gronow

After a career of teaching mathematics for over thirty years, Mark Gronow pursued research into the thought processes of mathematics teachers in his PhD Macquarie University. He aims to improve student engagement with mathematics and make it a more attractive choice at higher levels of study.

Melina Georgousakis

Dr Melina Georgousakis is a research scientist, a social entrepreneur and a champion for an inclusive health and medical research sector. Her PhD developed novel vaccine technologies and she is now the Research and Policy Manager at the Bupa Health Foundation, one of Australia’s largest corporate charities dedicated to health. Melina is the Founder of Franklin Women- a community of women working in health and medical research in Australia.

Nadine Ingram

Nadine Ingram is the founder of Flour and Stone, a bakery in inner-city Sydney with a large and devoted following. She was nominated for Telstra Business Women’s Awards 2017, and has published a cookbook titled 'Flour and Stone, Baked for Love, Life and Happiness' in 2018. This year she was nominated for Gault & Millau's Pastry Chef of the Year.

Noushin Nasiri

Noushin Nasiri received her PhD in Nanotechnology following which she continued working on nanostructured materials for health, energy and environmental applications. In 2018, she joined the Macquarie University School of Engineering as a lecturer and group leader. Her research lies at the intersection of science, technology and engineering.

Rachel Service

Rachel Service is the creator of Happiness Concierge Mojo School and Presentation Bootcamps that enable people to get their mojo back. What started as a blog is now a national team that delivers coaching and online programs across Australia, working with the biggest brands in the country and most respected leaders.

Rebecca Gelding

Rebecca Gelding is a cognitive scientist who was featured on ABC Science. Aside from her academic publications and award-winning PhD thesis on the human brain when people imagine music, she has also written for the Quillette and Times Higher Education and is an editor of the Australian Music Psychology Society quarterly newsletter.

Robyn Clay-Williams

Robyn Clay-Williams is an international award-winning researcher with over 120 publications to her name, investigating patient safety in hospital emergency departments. Robyn was also in the first cohort of female military pilots to be trained in Australia and was the first female test pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force.