Samantha Nixon

Venoms scientist at The Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland

‘I am a former arachnophobe turned venoms scientist and spider advocate at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland. My research harnesses the unique chemistries in spider venoms to develop medicines against the drug-resistant parasites that cripple the Australian sheep industry, and worms responsible for major neglected tropical diseases in humans.

‘I am an avid explorer, working around the world from the Amazon to the Antarctic, where I was the youngest participant selected for the all-women in STEM expedition to Antarctica in 2018. I am a passionate advocate for addressing inequality in STEM, education and leadership through science communication, and I hope that sharing my passion for spiders will help inspire the next generation of Australian scientists.

‘For my work, I have won the 2020 Women in Technology: Young Science Achiever Award, a 2020 German Ministry for Education Green Talent Award for scientific excellence for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and I was the 2020 Queensland Women in STEM Prize Winner (jury category).

‘It is so exciting to me to see the amazing women leading Queensland in so many different industries and fields. I believe you can’t be what you can’t see – and I certainly never imagined that I would become a scientist, having never met one. I hope that we can continue being role models for the next-generation. When we inspire girls and women to chase their curiosity and passions, and then give them space to grow and develop their talent, that’s when we can really move forward as a state.

‘However, there is still a long way to go to reach equality. I think one of the current biggest issues for Queensland women is the threat of domestic violence. In 2020, we saw domestic violence cases soar during the pandemic. Domestic violence has impacted me personally, a number of my friends and my colleagues. I hope that with increasing awareness and community support, and new legislation like Hannah’s Law, we will be able to build safer communities for women and children.

‘This Queensland Women’s Week, I’ll be celebrating and acknowledging the women who have mentored and supported me. I’ll also be doing school talks and media work, as one of my great joys is helping to inspire a love of science and spiders in the next generation of Queensland girls. I’ll also be preparing for our trip to the Great Barrier Reef to continue studying venomous animals!’