
Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS) of the Australian National University (ANU) and the Founder and Head of the POPSICULE, ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub. Her research explores the cultural meanings of science, the history of (violent) clowns and mad scientists, science and humour, and the interface between science, the environment and (public) art.
Publications – Books, Articles, Media pieces



Anna-Sophie is a Science Communication scholar who explores science in popular culture, using approaches from the Humanities. She discovers wormholes between distant thematic galaxies and builds bridges between unconnected stars. She has always been interested in extreme characters in culture (including artists, clowns and mad scientists), popular entertainment and the interface between science and art. Over the past seven years, she has been able to combine these interests. Since joining CPAS in 2020, she has been focusing on the cultural meanings of science in different media (film, fiction, comics) and science communication. A recent profile indicates how she does this: “Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens walks the tightrope between pop culture and science“.

Anna-Sophie is recognised for her original contributions to research and teaching as well as being an enthusiastic synthesiser and a highly effective developer and manager of (international) transdisciplinary collaborations, engaging public academic events and innovative projects/creative formats that aim to excite the public imagination about science.
In 2022, Anna-Sophie founded the Popsicule, which she has been running, curating and emceeing ever since.


Qualifications
Dr. phil., summa cum laude (with Highest Distinction), Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Germany
Magister Artium, 1.0 (Highest Distinction), Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Germany
Scholarships & Fellowships ǀ Awards & Nominations (selection)
2024 Falling Walls Engage Finalist (Global Call)
2023 – 2024 Selected participant in the Silbersalz Science & Media Program (Silbersalz Institute 2024), a competitive one-year creative development program (science-art research project)
2022 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
2021 – 2022 Selected participant in the ANU Vice-Chancellor’s Leading for the Future Program, a competitive one-year leadership development program
2017 – 2020 Feodor Lynen Postdoctoral Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
2019 Nominated for the Max Crawford Medal of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
2018 & 2019 Leadership Academy Fellowship – a competitive leadership program in Boston and Darmstadt awarded by the German Scholars Organization with Klaus Tschira Foundation, Fraunhofer Society, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Max Planck Society, and associated organisations including the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers
2018 ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellowship Mentoring Scheme – a competitive research leadership mentoring program: over five days, the participants (“outstanding early career female researchers”) received intensive mentoring regarding career advancement and opportunities
2017 National Library of Australia Fellowship – a highly competitive fellowship supporting researchers to make intensive use of the Library’s rich and varied collections
2012 – 2015 PhD scholarship of the ‘Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes’ (German National Merit Foundation) awarded to the top 0.5% of German postgraduate students
2004 – 2011 Scholarship of the ‘Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes’ (German National Merit Foundation) awarded to the top 0.5% of the German undergraduate student population


FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ANNA-SOPHIE’S WORK & IMPACT
“Cinematic Science: Film screenings that celebrate science, cinema and art”, interview by Alice Motion for ChemistryWorld, 7 November 2024
“Spielberg, a tuba, and a shark named Bruce — the cultural impact of Jaws”, Big Ideas / ABC Radio National podcast, 24 October 2024
“Episode 2: Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens/The one on Science”, Cutting Edge podcast (Australasian Humour Studies Research Network), 23 September 2024
“Is Beetlejuice the comic king of parasites?”, ANU Reporter, 12 September 2024
“Is the cold bothering you anyway? How Pop Culture and Science communicate climate change”, research story by Daniela Tan, CPAS, 11 July 2024
“Sci_Burst: Science goes pop with Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens”, podcast episode by Isabel Richards and Ella McCarthy, 2 May 2024
“Communicating Ice through Popular Art and Aesthetics”, by Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Graham Walker, videography by Nic Vevers, CoS, 1 May 2024
“ULTRA-PERCEPTION: Science goes pop”, by Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Terhi Nurmikko-Fuller, videography by Nic Vevers, CoS, 14 February 2024
“I didn’t even know my work was considered science communication”, interview by Lea Neubauer, Wissenschaftskommunikation.de, 17 August 2023
“How street art can communicate science and research”, with Olivia Congdon, CoS, 3 July 2023
“Welcome to the Popsicule!”, by Anna-Sophie Jürgens, videography by Nic Vevers, CoS, 5 June 2023
“Science & Humour”, by by Anna-Sophie Jürgens, videography by Nic Vevers, CoS, 7 June 2023
Photos by Jamie Kidston (pop-up book), Konrad Lenz (portrait) and Nic Vevers (office photos). Other photos: private.