Hello!
I'm Laurie

I am a physicist who loves talking about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths). My greatest passion is in telling stories; translating complex topics into English, without losing the details. I have a background in applied research and materials science, so I’m interested in how what we do in the lab shapes the world around us. 

I wear many hats: I’m a science journalist, communications consultant and trainer, lecturer and public speaker, and physicist-for-hire. 

What I Do

I translate science and engineering into English, and can help you to do the same.

Science writing
Communications strategy Consulting
Technical research

Public speaking
Training for scientists
Mentoring
Fact-checking

Get in Touch

If you’re interested in us working together, please drop me a line
‍

Laurie Winkless
021 262 3435
winkless@gmail.com

Twitter
Linkedin
Portfolio

Books

Science and the City: The Mechanics Behind the Metropolis
2016
Sticky: The Secret Science of the Surfaces
2021
WinklessBuilt by StudioC Design
It's always great to work with Laurie, she manages to maintain as much enthusiasm and efficiency for organising the nuts and bolts of a project as she does for explaining the finer details of whatever science is on our plates on that particular day! She's great with clients of all varieties and a reassuring hand at the tiller when working on complex projects with teams spread across the globe.

— Nick Kennedy

Video Producer / Director, Nobel Media (Nobel Foundation)
Laurie's capabilities and enthusiasm for broadcasting her science is nothing short of awesome. She feels equally at home with professors and schoolchildren and is a lively contributor to the development of best practice in educational outreach at NPL. She has actively striven to find appropriate platforms to talk about her work, and is a great networker, pulling together contacts from a variety of fields to enable her to share her passion for science with the next generation

— Dr Andrew Hanson MBE

Outreach Manager, The National Physical Laboratory
Laurie’s exceptional interpersonal skills and high standards quickly build trust in her dealings with others. Her enthusiasm for new challenges is infectious and assists in getting the best from those around her, ensuring that project teams work effectively together. These excellent interpersonal skills are supported by strong technical and business acumen.

— Gareth McGrath

Group leader, The National Physical Laboratory

Laurie worked with the Royal Society to develop a strategy to better promote the Society’s medals and awards and provide sample copy demonstrating her suggestions. The resulting documents were exactly what we were looking for, and has allowed us to start implementing changes immediately. Laurie was an absolute pleasure to work with.

— Catriona Ross

Senior Scientific Programmes Officer, The Royal Society
Laurie is one of those rare finds - a natural communicator with an exceptional talent for writing who comes with a strong knowledge of science. Our researchers, leading New Zealand neuroscientists and clinicians, thoroughly enjoyed working with Laurie and her love of science spilled over into every piece she penned. BRNZ’s only hesitation in recommending Laurie to others, would be the need to share her.

— Alexandra Sweetman

Business Manager, Brain Research New Zealand