Technology has taken the way we work forward in leaps and bounds, allowing us to be more innovative in exploring the world around us and creating whole new connections between different fields of research. Australian scientists in particular are punching above our weight, with Nobel Prize-winners like researcher Elizabeth Blackburn, medical doctor Sandra Eades, astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith and marine biologist Emma Johnston gaining worldwide recognition for their achievements.

You don’t even have to be a career scientist to make a contribution. Through the power of “citizen science”, we have seen the contribution a motivated group of people can make to map the Great Barrier Reef ­– or a far-off galaxy. You can even download an app from the Australian Museum, FrogID, that lets your phone identify frogs for you by recording their calls.

READ MORE: UNE scientists return from memorable journey to Antarctica

Despite all this, women in science are comparatively rare. According to a 2016 report from the Chief Scientist of Australia, 84 per cent of Australians with a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or maths) qualification are men.

My current role at the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is the first time I’ve had another woman as my boss (our Deputy CEO, Lisa Croft). It hasn’t changed how I work, but it’s reminded me that, as the saying goes, “you can’t be what you don’t see” – it’s important for women in non-traditional careers to be advocates for each other and role models for the next generation coming along.

There’s no “right” way to be a scientist, although the ability to think logically through a problem or process is at the heart of it. In addition to my career, I’m a wife and mother with three young children, and I think the most effective way to pass on my love of science is to show how it’s woven into the fabric of our daily lives. What excites me most is how our idea of what a scientist does, and what one looks like, has evolved. There are two fundamentals of science: a testable hypothesis and repeatable. Baking a cake, training a puppy, and deciding what seeds to plant in your garden (and where to plant them) are all science experiments.

At home, we talk about converting between grams and millilitres while making dinner. We discuss what makes one kind of fly different from another. They ask lots of questions, and when I don’t know the answer, I say so and suggest that we find out together.

Working in the public service, there are lots of opportunities to make a difference to our everyday lives through high quality science, from the medicines we use on family pets, to the insecticides and pesticides that help protect our unique Australian environment from invasive species. As a regulatory agency, we work within a legislative framework. This means that our scientists need to be people who can communicate clearly and work collaboratively within and beyond the APVMA- science isn’t just about working in a lab, anymore.

Along with the other scientists working in the APVMA, I look forward to serving the people, animals, and environment of Australia as we continue to build our reputation as a world-leading regulator for agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines from our new home in Armidale.