reNEW researchers create meaningful connections at Science Meets Parliament

Two members of reNEW Melbourne participated in the 2025 Science and Technology Australia’s premier event, Science Meets Parliament.

The 2025 event celebrated 25 years of creating meaningful connections between the STEM sector and policymakers through SMP.

This is the third year that reNEW Melbourne researchers have participated in SMP, representing their work based at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, MCRI, in Melbourne.

Katherine Lieschke from the MCRI Stem Cell Ethics and Policy Lab, and Dr Julian Stolper, project manager from the MCRI Cancer Therapies group attended the 2025 event, which delivered outstanding opportunities to elevate visibility of reNEW research.

Julian had the opportunity to speak with Mr Peter Khalil MP, member for Wills, and discussed the importance of strengthening research both within Australia and internationally, ensuring that Australia remains at the forefront of scientific innovation.

“We discussed advancements in fields such as cell therapies, including the Rag1 SCID trial, and how supporting our research can drive better health outcomes and global leadership in science,” said Julian.

“SMP also took the mystery out of how the Australian parliament works. If I want to ask for change, I now know how”.

One of the key opportunities was the chance to meet with scientists from all over Australia and across all disciplines. “As a social scientist, it was a great opportunity to meet colleagues from other fields whom I can learn from. I also learnt a lot about how decisions get made, and how research can help inform this process,” said Katherine.

Science Meets Parliament offers an unrivalled program of bespoke training to forge deeper links between federal Parliamentarians and those working in science and technology. It plays a crucial role in building relationships to bring STEM expertise into the service of the nation.

Katherine Lieschke and Dr Julian Stolper were supported to attend Science Meets Parliament through reNEW’s training and capacity building program. They also were able to Meet a Parliamentarian through their membership with the Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research.