Jack Scanlan is a geneticist, bioinformatician, and science writer.

Hey, I’m Jack. My scientific interests are primarily in functional genetics and genomics and their intersections with a broad range of overlapping topics, including entomology, microbiology, evolutionmolecular biology, ecology, endocrinology, physiology and toxicology.

I’m also passionate about data visualisation and finding better ways of communicating and exploring information graphically, both within and outside the research community. 

I am a Research Scientist at Agriculture Victoria, developing bioinformatic pipelines to improve surveillance of agricultural pests. Previously, I was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Mycology Lab at The University of Melbourne, working on fungal phytopathology genetics and genomics. I did my PhD research in the Specifly Lab at The University of Melbourne, investigating the function and evolution of a uncharacterised gene family in insects.

I also do science communication, which involves taking science—weird, complex stuff, a lot of the time—and making it seem less weird and complex. Here are a bunch of things I’ve done and things I’ve written.

I am the founding editor of Lateral Magazine, an online publication that explores the relationship between science and society, while supporting new and emerging science writers and illustrators, and my own writing has also appeared in COSMOS OnlineSBS ScienceAustralasian Science and Pursuit.

I’m also a member of the Melbourne band Sunset Nevers.

If you’d like to get in touch about a project or work, or if you’re simply interested in wasps, chuck me a line on Twitter, Mastodon or via email.

Recent Blog Posts

  • Sunset Nevers — Praise the Mutilated World (part three)

    The third part of my band’s most recent release is out! Parts 1 and 2 are of course also available. Praise the Mutilated World part three by Sunset Nevers It’s also on Soundcloud if that’s more your style. … Read More

  • Sunset Nevers — Praise the Mutilated World (part two)

    As promised, here’s the second part of a three-part album I’ve been working on with my electro-experimental band, Sunset Nevers. It’s pretty swish, if I’m allowed to say that. Me on trumpet and keys and stuff. Get into it. Part three coming next month, I reckon. Praise the Mutilated World part two by Sunset Nevers […] … Read More

  • Sunset Nevers — Praise the Mutilated World (part one)

    The band I’m in, Sunset Nevers, has just released the first part of an album we’ve been recording this year, called Praise the Mutilated World. It’s pretty good (but it’s hard to really know when you make the music), so have a listen below. I’m on keys, vocals and trumpet (yeah, I know), and my bandmates Brady […] … Read More