Alana De Luca

Being a scientist is all about asking questions. My favourite kinds of questions are ones to do with how the body fights diseases. As someone who studies the immune system, I have researched why some babies are born too early and why some people’s brains break down. I’ve also researched why Tasmanian devils get a disease that acts like a cancer, a virus, and a transplant all at once!

Working in science has been one huge adventure. As an immunologist I have been able to travel all over Australia working in laboratories growing cells, making chemicals that glow different colours, and using lasers to get a picture of what’s happening within our cells during disease. I’ve spent time in hospitals in Sydney and Western Australia and in the Tasmanian bush trapping devils to study them.

Now I work as a Science Communicator. This means I get to think about how we ask questions, and how we talk about the answers that we find. One of the things I like best about this is that I don’t just get to learn about one kind of science – I get to learn about all different areas of research and the different questions people are asking about our universe.