Dr Jonica Newby is a former veterinarian turned reporter / producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s flagship TV science program, Catalyst. While her days of trying to read the minds of furry patients are long gone, her fascination with the lives of animals remains. Before joining Catalyst, she wrote and presented a five part feature series for ABC TV on the domestication of animals, called The Animal Attraction. She is also author of an ABC book of the same name, and a contributor to various science media across the country. Having been with Catalyst since its beginning in 2001, Jonica’s reporting interests have since broadened considerably. From the future of oil to the frontiers of space to the intricate workings of the human brain, Jonica presents powerful science stories about the advances that shape our lives. In 2006, she was awarded Australia’s premier science journalism prize, the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism. Dr Jonica Newby has a Bachelor of Science degree, and a first class honours degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.