Three presenters share a topic they are NERDY about while the audience shares a drink.
WOW, what a lineup we have for our next Nerd Nite show for 2024!! We’ll be kicking it off with Alex who recently spoke at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival about his immunology research, followed by Ben, who will be talking about fossils and how to curate your own fossil exhibition (who doesn’t love fossils right??). Lastly, we have Bee who will be giving us a chaotic crash course in horror music! Tickets are going to sell out quickly to this one, so get in quick!
Be there. Be square.
Alex Davenport
Using the Immune System to fight Paediatric Brain Cancer
Description: Comedy is not normally something you associate with Kids with brain cancer. And well, you’re right. So I won’t joke about that at all. I will however describe what I do, and what life was like as an immunologist during COVID which is itself a huge tangent for cheap laughs. If you make it through, I hope you’ll learn about how we can genetically engineer your immune system to fight cancer.
Bio: Alex has come a long way since his first job as a dish pig in a pub. Alex is now a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical research (which isn’t as fun as being a lifty at a ski resort, but it’s still pretty fun). His research focuses on creating novel immunotherapies for paediatric brain cancer. His work looks to discover new anti-cancer targets to help bring an end to the biggest cancer related killer of children.
Socials:
@DrAlexDav (Twitter/X)
Benjamin Francischelli
How to create a fossil exhibition in 20 easy steps.
Description: Creating a public facing exhibition for the whole family can be difficult, especially when you're working with material that's more than 5 million years of age. How do you showcase hundreds of fossils from bone-crunching sharks, flesh-gouging Killer-Sperm-whales and giant Pseudo-toothed birds to the public? Luckily for you, we've created this easy to replicate list from "Prehistoric Bayside", now showing at the Bayside Gallery. From diving under the waves and filming footage of your discoveries, to hosting public "fossil themed" events inspired by Antiques Roadshow, "Prehistoric Bayside" is the definitive guide for organising a fossil exhibition.
Bio: At the age of 17, Ben was fired from the supermarket chain formally known as Safeway for being so slow with stacking shelves. Now, Ben is a curator at Bayside City Council and Bayside Gallery, where his exhibition "Prehistoric Bayside" is open on the 29th June. It chronicles the incredible diversity of life that once existed in Melbourne from 5 million years ago, from giant predatory sharks to terrifying killer sperm whales. He leads expeditions across Victoria to uncover these fossils, and would rather be underwater than above it. Ben is also the science and conservation communications advisor to Parks Victoria, where his role involves communicating the incredible biodiversity we have across the 4.1 million hectares of protected land in Victoria, and how climate change is impacting these estates.
Socials:
@BFrancischelli (Twitter/X)
@a_fools_experiment (Instagram)
@afoolsexperiment (YouTube)
Bee Montagner
Recipe for a Sonic Scare... freshly baked by a horror-head
Description: Bee has always had a fascination with horror. Bee is also an artist. However, Bee is a bit of a novice when it comes to making scary art. They are also *certain* they felt someone touch their shoulder as they wrote this blurb. Join Bee as they explore the colliding worlds of horror and music in this (chaotic) crash course in composing for a sonic scare - This talk will look into the core goals of horror composition, and Bee’s approach for keeping an audience at the edge of their seats through found sounds, distorted musical lines, and utilising digital tools to manipulate… hang on… did you see that shadowy figure as well…? Whether you’re a musician or a lover of horror, there’ll be something for you to sink your teeth into!
WARNING: This talk does contain horror themes both in content and performance.
Bio: Ever since they were a child, Bee Montagner always had an utter fascination for the weird, macabre, grotesque and fantastical. Whether it was bingeing episodes of Paranormal Investigations, practicing telekinesis with a piece of foil and a shonky website teaching you how, or learning to create wounds, scars and prosthetics for a Halloween party, Bee has sunk their teeth into horror and does not intend to let go anytime soon. As a musician, actor and composer, Bee continues their love of the ooky and the spooky: Beginning their artistic journey as a classically-trained pianist, Bee began their professional composition journey on the stage for shows such as Systems People (2020), WE ARE AIR (2020) and The Love of the Nightingale (2021). Bee now works fluidly across multiple genres under the stage name Fantomime, from vaporwave and electronica to pop ballads and art music, collaborating with creatives in stage theatre, screen, and video games. Bee is also a pre-service teacher, currently studying a Master of Teaching (Secondary) to continue their love of sparking curiosity in young musicians and dramatists.
Socials:
@fantomime_music (Twitter/X)
@fantomime.music (Instagram)