Upulie Divisekera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Upulie Divisekera
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Upulie Divisekera in 2017
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Upulie Divisekera is a scientist from Australia. She studies tiny parts of living things, like cells and molecules. This is called molecular biology. She also loves to share science with everyone. This is known as science communication.
Upulie is currently studying at Monash University. She also helped start a cool project called Real Scientists. It uses fun ways like shows and writing to explain science. She has written for big newspapers like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian.
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Becoming a Scientist
Upulie knew she wanted to be a scientist when she was a kid. She comes from a Sri Lankan family. After high school, she worked with a scientist named Mary-Jane Gething.
University Studies
Upulie went to the University of Melbourne. She finished her first degree there in 2001. Later, she continued her studies at the Australian National University. She graduated in 2007.
She worked as a research assistant at different places. This included the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. She also worked at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. There, she studied how living things develop and how to fight cancer.
Current Research
Today, Upulie is studying at Monash University. She is learning about tiny particles called nanoparticles. She is researching how these can deliver medicine inside the body.
Sharing Science with Everyone
Upulie is very good at explaining science. She wants more people to understand how science works.
Online and On Stage
In 2011, Upulie won an online science contest. It was called "I'm a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here." In 2012, she gave a talk at TEDx Canberra. She spoke about dinosaurs and how science changes.
She writes for many places. These include The Guardian and The Sydney Morning Herald. She also talks about science on ABC Radio National.
Real Scientists Project
In 2013, Upulie helped create Real Scientists. This is a special Twitter account. A different scientist takes over the account each week. They share what their day is like. This helps people see that scientists are diverse. It also shows that science is for everyone.
Upulie also teaches other scientists how to share their work. She helps them talk about science clearly.
Science and Arts
Upulie also mixes science with art events. She has spoken at the Melbourne Writers Festival. She has also taken part in talks about living on Mars.
Supporting Women in Science
Upulie cares about helping more women become scientists. She has spoken on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about this. She also gave a speech at the March for Science in Melbourne. In 2018, she even had a friendly debate with Elon Musk on Twitter. She writes for a literary magazine called The Lifted Brow.
