Dr Jonica Newby
Science Journalist, Author, Presenter
An award-winning science journalist, author, former veterinarian, and TV presenter, best known for two decades on ABC TV’s Catalyst. Warm, curious, and courageous, Dr Jonica Newby inspires audiences to explore, think critically, and engage with the wonders of science.
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Dr Jonica Newby is an award-winning science journalist, author, former veterinarian, and TV presenter, best known for her two decades on ABC TV’s flagship science program, Catalyst. She has twice won the Eureka Award, Australia’s premier science journalism prize, and is a recipient of a World TV Award.
Jonica’s storytelling combines warmth, gentle humour, and curiosity, bringing complex science to life for audiences of all ages. She has presented over 200 diverse stories—from the world’s oldest beer to battery-powered homes—and has a remarkable ability to make science both engaging and relatable. Her live appearances as interviewer, facilitator, or host are relaxed, stimulating, and highly enjoyable.
She is the author of Beyond Climate Grief: A Journey of Love, Snow, Fire and an Enchanted Beer Can, a deeply moving exploration of climate change, emotional resilience, and how we live with the uncertainty of a warming world. Her earlier book, The Animal Attraction, explores how domestication of animals shaped human civilisation.
With a first-class honours degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Jonica brings a practical grounding in science to her work, whether it’s jumping out of a plane to study panic in the brain, exploring exercise and cancer, or revealing the complexities of the female libido. Her stories educate, inspire, and empower audiences to think critically and live curiously.
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Topics
- Science
- Human behaviour – neurochemistry, genetics, evolution
- Animal Behaviour
- Medicine
- Climate change and the impact on Australia
- Science education
- The energy transition and our future.
