Dr Paulo de Souza is leading research on micro-sensor technologies and systems.

A physicist and miniaturisation expert, Dr de Souza is recognised internationally in field robotics, geochemistry and environmental engineering.

Paulo is a collaborating scientist on NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission, which landed and operates two large robots, Spirit and Opportunity, on the surface of Mars.

Ben Oldroyd is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Sydney. Ben completed a BSc (Agr) in 1980, PhD at the University of Sydney in 1984 and a Doctor of Science in 2005. Ben’s research focuses on the behavioural genetics of honey bees, the evolution of social behavior and evolution more broadly. Ben is also heavily involved with the Australian beekeeping industry, including helping beekeepers breed better, healthier strains. Ben has made important contributions to understanding the genetic basis of worker sterility in honey bees.  Ben has authored nearly 300 scientific papers on bees and social insects.

Stu Anderson, a second-generation beekeeper from New South Wales, Australia, is co-inventor of the revolutionary honey extraction system, the Flow® Frame. This invention was inspired by Stuart’s son Cedar who said; “There must be a better way to get honey from a beehive”. Together they took on what became a ten-year journey of designing and testing. When they proved they could gently harvest honey without opening the hive, they then brought it to market via one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns in history.
Since its launch in 2015, the Flow Hive has inspired tens of thousands of new beekeepers around the world with over 65,000 Flow Hives shipped to 130 countries. Stu is pleased that Flow-based beekeeping is encouraging people to have a stronger connection with their environment.

Dr Julia Grassl is a Molecular Biologist and Honey Bee Researcher in the School of Molecular Sciences at the University of Western Australia. Julia obtained a PhD h in Molecular Biology from Swansea University in the UK in 2007 and moved to Perth in 2009. As a group leader of the Honey Bee Health Research Group, her work now focusses on the impacts of genetic diversity, disease and nutrition on honey bee health.  Julia works closely with beekeepers to provide answers and tools for selecting disease tolerant bees, detecting diseases earlier and finding nutrition thresholds through the application of molecular techniques. Julia also holds the position of Program Leader for the CRC for Honey Bee Products working on honey bee health.

Dr Ken Walker has been the curator of entomology at Museum Victoria now for over 32 years. His research topic is the study of native Australian bees and has described several hundred new species and revised groups – particularly in the Halictinae and within the subgenera of Lasioglossum and Homalictus. Being a museum curator, Dr Walker’s other passion is making museum specimen information more accessible to the scientific and general public (now called Citizen Science). He has also created several significant website resources: Bioinformatics, Pests and Diseases Image Library (PaDIL) and BowerBird, being Australia’s first social science website dedicated to Citizen Science.

Madeleine Beekman is a professor in Behavioural Ecology at the University of Sydney. Madeleine has always been fascinated by insects in general and social insects in particular. Madeleine completed her PhD at the University of Amsterdam on bumblebees. After finishing her PhD in 1998, she moved to the University of Sheffield, where she worked both on honeybees and ants, a ‘tradition’ she maintained after her move to the University of Sydney in 2001. Currently Madeleine’s main honeybee research interests are conflict and cooperation in honeybee colonies and the evolution of virulence of honeybee RNA viruses.

Dr Kymble Spriggs is a Consultant Physician, Specialist Allergist & Immunologist and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. Kymble offers an extensive background in the management of allergic & other immunological diseases, and is especially interested in hayfever, and bee venom immunotherapy, as well as the diagnosis & management of food allergy.

Based in Adelaide, Vanessa Hoo AKA Mademoiselle Bee is a 2nd generation beekeeper and fervid advocate for bees, whose father is a French commercial apiarist.

She rescues our pollinators, by offering a diverse range of services around South Australia, from mentoring and education, to live bee removal, and adoption/sponsorship programs .

Based in Swan Hill, Jessica Millar is working to reduce the risk of disease entering beehives, by promoting ‘best practice biosecurity’ based on the Biosecurity Manual for Beekeepers, the Biosecurity Code of Practice and the National Bee Biosecurity Program.

Jessica works closely with Agriculture Victoria’s other apiary inspectors, she monitors and detects endemic pests and disease such as American Foul Brood (AFB) via field surveillance.

Benedict is a well-known registered Beekeeper; as The Practical Beekeeper he collects swarms, manages hives, extracts honey, teaches and loves bees.

Benedict is the resident Beekeeper at Ceres (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) and is approved by the City of Darebin to keep bees in Darebin Parklands and Bundoora Park.

Benedict regularly runs school incursions about bees and beekeeping, he also delivers adult educational courses at Melbourne Polytechnic and CERES in Brunswick as well as at Edendale Community Environment Farm in Eltham.

Corinne’s obsession with bees commenced in South East Queensland 2008 with the founding of The Bee Lady Apiaries.

Since 2013 Corinne has been striving to improve Australia’s honey bee stocks by instrumental insemination and continued selection and evaluation. Her key focus is enhancing the productivity, health and vitality of Apis mellifera ligustica commonly known as the Italian or Yellow Queen Bee whilst preserving the gentle temperament.

Corinne is a passionate bee advocate and her presentation will draw from  personal experience as a Commercial Honeybee Breeder.