Associate Professor Jen Martin is a leading figure in science communication within the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne, where she serves as the Leader of the Science Communication Teaching Program in the School of BioSciences. Holding a PhD, Bachelor’s Degree with Honours, Bachelor’s Degree, and Graduate Certificate—all from the University of Melbourne—Martin began her career as a field ecologist. Her doctoral research examined the mating systems, distribution, and demography of the bobuck possum (Trichosurus cunninghami), yielding influential publications including “Resource distribution influences mating system in the bobuck (Trichosurus cunninghami: Marsupialia)” (Oecologia, 2007), “Linear roadside remnants: Their influence on den-use, home range and mating system in bobucks” (Austral Ecology, 2007), “Comparison of bobuck (Trichosurus cunninghami) demography in two habitat types in the Strathbogie Ranges, Australia” (Journal of Zoology, 2007), and “Long-term pair-bonds without mating fidelity in a mammal” (Behaviour, 2007). Following her PhD, she lectured in the Department of Zoology and participated in the Fresh Science early-career researcher communication program.

Transitioning to science communication education approximately a decade ago, Martin founded the University of Melbourne’s Science Communication Teaching Program, now leading a team that equips undergraduate and postgraduate science students with essential written, oral, and media communication skills. Her contributions have been recognized with the 2020 University of Melbourne David White Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2019 Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication award. Beyond academia, she is a faculty member of the Homeward Bound global leadership program for women in STEM, joining the largest-ever all-female expedition to Antarctica in 2019. Martin co-hosts the “Let’s Talk SciComm” podcast with Dr. Michael Wheeler and broadcasts science content on 3RRR radio, including the Sunday show Einstein A Go Go and the weekly Weird Science segment on Breakfasters. Her recent scholarship bridges ecology and communication, with papers such as “The full story: Understanding how films affect environmental change through the lens of narrative persuasion” (People and Nature, 2021) and “Ethical considerations for conservation messaging research and practice” (People and Nature, 2022). In 2024, she published the popular science book “Why am I like this? The science behind your weirdest thoughts and habits” (Hardie Grant Publishing).