Kira Morgan Hughes

Kira is an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University and an expert in aerobiology: the study of airborne allergens like pollen. While completing her PhD with the NeuroAllergy Research Laboratory (NARL), her research focused on understanding the underlying factors of thunderstorm asthma and developing better ways to monitor allergens. Kira also worked for 5 years as a Research Scientist & Site Manager for Deakin AIRwatch, a research facility that provides the Bureau of Meteorology and Victorian Department of Health with critical health data for pollen forecasts and thunderstorm asthma warnings.

Kira currently works at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where she helps scientists effectively communicate their work to secure funding for important cancer research. In addition, she is an award-winning Science Communicator with over 6 years. She's presented at several events ranging from public seminars in regional towns to international comedy shows, been interviewed as a scientific expert on hay fever and/or thunderstorm asthma for live tv, news articles, radio shows, magazines, & podcasts, and coordinated research & national media campaigns with Zyrtec on childhood allergies.