The Team
Our Story
The Einstein-First Project started around the time of the first gravitational wave detection under the supervision of UWA Professor David Blair. Researchers involved in the Einstein-First program have collectively been exploring ways to teach gravitational wave discovery and the fundamentals of modern physics to students around Australia.
Emeritus Professor David Blair
David G. Blair is an Australian physicist and professor at the University of Western Australia and Director of the Australian International Gravitational Research Centre. Blair works on methods for the detection of gravitational waves. He developed the Einstein-First program in 2013.
Li Ju is a Physicist at the Department of Physics, UWA. She is one of the chief investigators in the Australian Research Council Linkage Project “International collaboration in the teaching and learning of Einsteinian physics at schools”. Her other research interest is on experimental gravitational wave detection techniques.
Adjunct A/Professor Marjan Zadnik
Marjan Zadnik at UWA, was the Dean of Teaching and Learning in Science and Engineering, at Curtin University, overseeing the teaching quality of hundreds of academics, and the learning experience of their students. He has won many awards for excellence in teaching, including the AIP Education Medal and a National Teaching Fellowship. He has also won many competitive research and teaching grants. Current educational research projects include measuring the effectiveness of teaching Einsteinian Physics at schools, as well as investigating how students learn in science and engineering laboratory environments.
David Treagust is John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Science Education in the School of Education at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. Formerly a secondary science teacher, his research interests are related to understanding students’ ideas about science concepts, how they contribute to conceptual change and can be used to enhance the design of curricula and teachers’ classroom practice.
Professor Susan Scott
Susan Scott is a Distinguished Professor of Theoretical Physics in the ANU Centre for Gravitational Astrophysics in the Research School of Physics and is also a Chief Investigator with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery OzGrav (ANU node). She is an expert in general relativity, gravitational waves and black holes. She helps to coordinate Einstein-First’s collaborators and activities in the ACT and NSW.
Dr. Elaine Horne
Dr. Elaine Horne is a Partner Investigator in the Einstein-First ARC Project. She is a science education specialist, past Chair of the Gravity Discovery Centre (GDC) Foundation and worked on Einsteinian education committees and boards for 20 years. Dr. Horne was instrumental in producing a Science Education Policy for UNESCO in 2007. She organised World Conferences on science education from 2003 to 2013, providing Keynote opportunities for international dissemination of Einsteinian Physics during that time.
David A. Wood
David Wood is a former education and school administrator and physics teacher. In retirement, David works in a voluntary capacity to represent the Science Teachers Association of Western Australia on the Einstein-First program. David’s interests and expertise include: school leadership, reform and improvement; curriculum reform; education program design and implementation; and advancing the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in schools agenda.
Adjunct Professor Peter Rossdeutscher
Peter Rossdeutscher is the Chair of the Einstein-First Advisory Committee and a key advisor on Einstein-First’s strategic direction. He has had a distinguished career in business and industry, having acted as CEO, Founder, Director, and/or Chair for numerous companies and company boards.
Adjunct Professor Howard Golden
Howard Golden is the Chair of the Einstein-First Fundraising Committee. He has a background in geophysics and a distinguished career as a leader in various geophysical industries. His business expertise and extensive network of connections have been instrumental in facilitating numerous philanthropic donations to Einstein-First that have helped allow it to reach where it is today.
Dr. Jyoti Kaur
Tejinder (Jyoti) Kaur completed her Ph.D. in 2018 from the University of Western Australia. She has worked in the Einstein-First project since 2013. Jyoti has a masters degree in Education as well as Physics. Jyoti is interested in science education and research.
Dr. Rahul Kumar Choudhary
Rahul completed his PhD with Einstein-First in 2021 at the University of Western Australia. Before completing his PhD, Rahul did a Master of Science in Physics from Tezpur University, India where he specialised in Optics. His research interests include developing Einsteinian physics resources at pre-tertiary and high school levels, and optics. Rahul enjoys teaching science, reading, and travelling.
Dr. Jesse Santoso
Jesse Santoso is a physicist with a background in both experimental and theoretical plasma physics. His research has explored themes of nuclear fusion, renewable technologies, and green chemistry. He has significant experience teaching physics at a university level in both in-person and online formats. His primary activities include developing online teacher-training resources, producing teacher-training demonstration videos, and overseeing our Einsteinian Science Micro-credential courses.
Dr. Anastasia Lonshakova
Anastasia Lonshakova has completed her PhD in education at the University of Western Australia. She also holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and Physics. Her research interests are related to the development and implementation of a mathematical curriculum for Einstein Physics. She has a scientific background in physics and mathematics with research experience in polarization optics and the physics of liquid crystals. Being passionate about education, she has science teaching experience with different aged students, including pre-school.
Lachlan McGuiness
Lachlan McGinness is a former secondary science teacher with seven years of classroom experience and a strong background in physics education research, with a focus on how students learn modern physics ideas. He is the Director of the Australian Physics Olympiad Program and has extensive experience in science outreach, teacher professional learning, and curriculum development through Einstein-First. Lachlan currently works part-time as a post-doctoral researcher with Einstein-First while completing his PhD in artificial intelligence and education.
Raju Bhattarai
Raju Bhattarai is a PhD student in Physics at the University of Western Australia and an educator passionate about advancing teaching and science. He holds an MSc in Physics from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He served as the Academic Co-Ordinator (2019-2025) at Bright Future Secondary School, overseeing curriculum and academic activities. His research has focused on ZnO nanoparticles and thin films, exploring their applications in alcohol sensing, dye-cleansing, and UV response, with three publications in this field.
Currently, he is contributing to the Einstein-First Project to modernize the school science curriculum.
Board of Management
- Emeritus Professor David Blair
- John Curtin Distinguished Professor David Treagust, Curtin University
- Senior Honorary Research Fellow David A. Wood, UWA
- Professor Grady Venville, Deputy Vice Chancellor, ANU
- Distinguished Professor Susan Scott, ANU
- Peter Rossdeutscher Chairman, Quantum Technology Exchange and Atomic Sky Pty Ltd
- Professor Li Ju, UWA
- Dr Elaine Horne
- Adjunct Associate Professor Mario Zadnik, UWA
Former Team Members
- Melanye B. Wawrik, J.D. – Quantum Girls Coordinator
- Darren McGoran – PhD Student
- Dr. Shon Boublil – Researcher, PhD Graduate
- Dr. Kyla Adams – Researcher, PhD Graduate
- Wendy Carter – Administrative Officer