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).

Advanced Engineering Building GHD Auditorium
Building 49, The University of Queensland, Staff House Rd
St Lucia, Queensland, 4072
Australia

Alan Robertson

Alan Robertson has wild hair, a cute dog, and a commitment to helping more people use the information in their DNA to guide their clinical care. He does this both as an academic researcher, and as the founder of a genomics start-up. Alan is an alum of The University of Queensland, where he has been extensively involved in the start-up ecosystem. He believes that some problems are best solved by universities, some problems are best solved by industry, and some are best solved by the combination of the two.

Ashley Hanger

Ashley Hanger is a Startup Founder and Digital Content Creator experienced in storytelling and young-blooded digital strategy. Her love for words began at an early age after visiting The Courier Mail factory on a Grade 5 excursion and was cultivated by studying a Bachelor of Journalism/Communication at The University of Queensland (Class of ‘15). After seeing the challenges of Type 1 Diabetes in her partner, Ashley found her passion providing support to people living with chronic illness. She founded Stripped Supply, Australia’s first diabetes subscription box, with a vision to make diabetes healthcare more accessible. As of 2022, Ashley had personally fundraised over $10,000 for Type 1 Diabetes research and was named UQ Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021.

Caroline Wilson-Barnao

Dr Caroline Wilson-Barnao is a lecturer in the School of Communication and Arts at The University of Queensland. Caroline’s career spans two decades, withexperience in communications and marketing, supporting non-profit, arts organisations, and in the corporate sector. She currently teaches in theory and practical subjects at The University of Queensland and in 2019 filled the position of acting director of the Master of Museum Studies program.

Christina Zdenek

Snake Expert

Dr Christina Zdenek is a former Fulbrighter, former professional basketball player, and a 2021 ABC Top 5 Scientist. As a biologist and toxinologist, she manages the Venom Evolution Lab at The University of Queensland. Her research, published in over 50 scientific publications, explores the systemic effects of animal venoms, therapeutic options to treat snakebite, as well as snake ecology, and snake behaviour. Her passion for wildlife and snakes in particular began as a child when her family pet wasn’t a fluffy dog but rather a scaley 2.5-metre Boa constrictor snake. Her unwavering passion for wildlife fuels her avid science communication where she uses science to promote a better world for both humans and wildlife.

Injarra and Unngoorra Harbour

Unngoorra and Injarra Harbour are brothers from Winton, Central West Queensland. They are descendants of the Warluwarra, Eastern Arrente, and Yirendali peoples, with family connection spanning from the North Western regions of Queensland, into the Central Desert regions of the Northern Territory. Both brothers are pursuing medicine at The University of Queensland. Injarra is in his second year of biomedical science and plans to commence the Doctor of Medicine program in 2024. Unngoorra is currently in his second year of the Doctor of Medicine program.

Jacqui Barfoot

Dr Jacqui Barfoot is an alum of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Science at The University of Queensland, an experienced Occupational Therapist, and Postdoctoral Clinical Researcher. She is passionate about creating a shift in early childhood intervention where parents are at the centre of therapy, supporting lifelong and rich relationships with their children. Jacqui has developed an innovative and practical training package for early childhood practitioners to feel confident incorporating a relationship-focused approach in their therapy as a foundation for all other areas of child development. She is also involved in several clinical research projects that focus on supporting parents who have a child with a disability.

James Kesby

Dr James Kesby is a behavioural neuroscientist who has focused his studies on the brain circuits that underlie psychotic disorders and addiction. As an Amplify Fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute at The University of Queensland, he is particularly interested in how the brain computes uncertain situations in order to make an optimal choice. His work spans circuit-based approaches in rodents, to psychological studies in people (including those with psychosis).

Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt is a penultimate-year student at The University of Queensland, with an undergraduate dual-major Bachelor of Science in Computer and Biomedical Science. He is the founder and CEO of The VacSeen Project, a registered charity providing innovative preventative healthcare to people experiencing vulnerability. He was also named the 2022 Young Brisbane Citizen of the Year.

Jessica Korte

Dr Jessica Korte is passionate about the ways good technology can improve lives. She is a lecturer at the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at The University of Queensland. To ensure technology is “good”, Jessica advocates for involving end users in the design process, especially when those people belong to “minority” user groups. Her philosophy for technology design is that the needs of people who are disempowered or disabled by society should be considered first; everyone else will then benefit from technology that maximises usability.

Julie Lyons

Julie Lyons is a research assistant at The University of Queensland. She is passionate about sports, drama, and Auslan. Julie is one of the Deaf leaders within the Queensland Deaf community, being involved in major community sporting and cultural events. She has been a teacher of Auslan for 28 years, and the State Administrator at Deaf Sports & Recreation Queensland for 17 years. She loves being involved in any projects that might be beneficial for the Deaf community, especially those developing technology for better access for Deaf people to communicate with the wider communities.

Pieter van Heerden

Pieter van Heerden is on a mission to reduce personal vehicle ownership. He dreams of a world that relies less on large metal machines that cause congestion, global warming, and take up space in our cities. This passion has prompted him to spend his career working on alternative transport modalities. After graduating from The University of Queensland with a double degree in Commerce and Civil Engineering, Pieter joined the team who brought the first major ridesharing app to Brisbane ,and he has also worked with local governments to replace car trips with carbon neutral e-scooters and e-bikes.

Serena Mak

Serena Mak is an alum of the Business School at The University of Queensland and an accomplished musician who finds deep fulfilment in sharing her love for life and music with her piano students. She has taught piano for over 18 years and is a two-time recipient of the Yamaha Keyboard Festival Teacher Award. She has also managed and trained teachers for eleven different piano school locations. As a young girl, Serena pushed through piano exam after piano exam, completing her diploma in performance at the tender age of 13. Later in life she began her teaching journey, returning to the sacred altar of piano exams to offer up a new generation of young musicians for dedication and sacrifice. But after many years of burning-and-learning alongside her students, Serena is ready to upturn the entire system.

Tamielle Brunt

Tamielle Brunt is an ecologist, researching platypus populations within South-East Queensland as part of her PhD studies at The University of Queensland. Tamielle is also the PlatypusWatch Project Officer for the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, helping to advocate and implement conservation efforts to protect this iconic species.