
Meet Our Bioactive Ambassadors
They are our passionate members of Macquarie University and the wider community who want to help share the message about the health benefits of eating fresh produce.
By championing the role of bioactive compounds, our Ambassadors aim to educate and inspire others to make simple food choices that can improve everyday life. They bring the science to life by connecting it with people, communities, and real stories.
Each Ambassador brings a unique perspective, but together they share one goal: helping more people discover the benefits of fresh produce and the bioactives within.

Áedán O'Donnell
Áedán is a Master of Research student in anthropology and also works as a professional photographer. He has an interest in food systems, the environment and the stories that connect us to both.
Áedán is working alongside Paul and Sherrie to create a citizen ethnography guide. The aim is to introduce participants to ethnographic research practices so that they can become co-contributors to the research project.

Sherrie Laryse Coleman
With a background in neuroscience and a passion for emotional intelligence, yoga, and meditation, Sherrie is dedicated to promoting holistic health and well-being.
In this project, she brings her strength in translating complex neuroscience into clear, practical insights—making the science behind what we eat easy to understand and apply.

Olivia Davenport
With a background in communications and media, majoring in social media and public relations, Olivia is passionate about how information flows through online communities and shapes real-world behaviours. Currently completing her postgraduate studies, she brings her love of health, food, and wellness together with her communication expertise in this project. Under the supervision of Lauren Gorfinkel, Olivia contributes to the public relations and communications aspects of the project, with a current focus on data analysis.

Connor Boxsell
Connor is completing a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Media, Culture and Communication. Working under Dr. Helen Wolfenden and Dr. Paul Mason, he joined the project as part of his Communication Major's work experience. Connor has focused on conducting interviews and producing short audiograms that make the science of bioactives engaging and accessible to everyday audiences.

Serena Olatona
Serena is a final-year Law and Medical Sciences student majoring in Neuroscience at Macquarie University. She is working on the Bioactive Bites podcast and helps produce infographics and short video and audio clips to make the benefits of bioactives easy to understand and apply. In her free time, Serena enjoys reading, solving complex Rubik’s cubes, and watching sport.

Simin Samavat
Simin is a PhD candidate at Macquarie University with a background in Nutrition and chronic disease. Her research focuses on promoting sustainable diets within CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities, exploring strategies to encourage healthy eating while respecting and integrating diverse cultural backgrounds and languages.

Sebastian Hain
Sebastian is a Bachelor of Laws and Social Sciences at Macquarie University. He has conducted a qualitative research project on the broad topic of food education and bioactive literacy. Joining fellow peers, Scarlet and Charlotte, they developed, organised and conducted focus group discussion and contributed towards the development of a citizen food ethnography auto-ethnography template by conducting pilot ethnographies in supermarkets to analyse the relationship between Australian consumers and their food choices.

Scarlet Lennon
Scarlet is a recent graduate of Macquarie University, having completed a double degree in Social Science and Arts, majoring in Anthropology. Alongside her research team and Dr Paul Mason, she conducted qualitative research to investigate individuals' bioactive literacy, food practices and behaviours. With a passion for anthropology, she conducted auto-ethnography and began developing a citizen-ethnography method with Paul. Sebastian, Charlotte and Scarlet's research unearthed the concept of moral labour as a defining element in shoppers' consumption of fresh produce.

Justin Parnell
Justin is a Bachelor of Media and Communications student at Macquarie University, specialising in Online Media, Radio, and Podcasts. Completing his work experience under Dr. Helen Wolfenden and Dr. Paul Mason, Justin has stepped into the role of audio producer and creator. Together with co-producer Hudson Lear, he handles the recording, editing, and diary logging for the podcast. Their mission is to make the science of bioactives highly accessible and engaging, framing it as a fun, collaborative journey where two friends figure out the facts together.

Hudson Lear
Hudson is a Radio and Podcasting student at Macquarie University and is a proud Bioactives Ambassador. He helped create the “Bioactive Store” podcast alongside fellow Ambassador Justin Parnell, under the guidance of Dr Helen Wolfenden and Dr Paul Mason. Hudson enjoys creating audio content that spreads the benefits that Bioactives can provide.

Emily Mason
Emily Mason is a graduate diploma student in the Natural Sciences department. Her passions include biological anthropology, biology and science communication. She has worked with the team in identifying bioactives in different fruits and vegetables. At present she is exploring the conceptual boundaries of the term ‘bioactive’ across various disciplines.