BA (Journalism), BA (International Studies)

Contact Details

Centre for the Public Awareness of Science Physics Link Building 38a, Science Road ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment ANU College of Physical Sciences Australian National University ACT 0200 Australia Tel: +61 8 8303 6437 Fax: +61 2 6125 8991 Email: cobi.smith@anu.edu.au

Current Positions

• MPhil Researcher, CPAS
• Cobi is working on publications emerging from the Big Picture Bioethics project, with Rachel Ankeny at the University of Adelaide.

Current Research

Involving the Public in Prioritising Research

Investigating public participation in science funding decisions, and how deliberative democracy theory can shape public engagement with science.

Personal Biography

Cobi was firmly focused on journalism in Adelaide when the Australian Broadcasting Corporation sent her to work as their newsreader and journalist in Port Lincoln. There she found issues like aquaculture, conservation, desalination and drought more interesting than crime and local politics.

She moved into science communication, working for the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics before moving to Cambridge, UK, in 2006. There she worked on science media projects ranging from podcasts to books, for organisations including a publisher, university and commercialisation consultancy. Most of her work examines how science fits in society; she is passionate about science supporting sustainable development.

Cobi was drawn back to Australia and now juggles commitments at the Australian National University and the University of Adelaide.

Publications, Conferences and Research Outputs