About
Alice Motion is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School (Chemistry) at The University of Sydney, where she is deeply engaged in advancing open science practices and science communication. She holds affiliations with multiple prestigious research centers including SSSHARC, the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, the Sydney Environment Institute, the Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation, the University of Sydney Nano Institute, and the Charles Perkins Centre.
Her research focuses on Science Communication, Outreach, Participation and Education (SCOPE), with a particular emphasis on making science accessible to diverse audiences. Motion founded the Breaking Good project, a citizen science initiative that empowers students to recreate life-saving medicines at minimal cost, famously demonstrating this with the Daraprim synthesis in 2016. Her interdisciplinary work bridges chemistry, education, and public engagement, with strong commitments to Indigenous perspectives, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and accessibility in science.
Alice Motion's publication record reveals a clear trajectory toward increasingly inclusive and participatory science practices. Her recent work emphasizes First Nations approaches to chemistry, queer perspectives in science communication, and innovative methods for engaging diverse communities in scientific research. She has pioneered the use of digital tools like GitHub for open laboratory practices and developed creative educational approaches such as sound design for science learning.
- Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science (2020)
- Young Tall Poppy NSW (2020)
- Westpac Research Fellow (2020)
- SOAR Prize (2020)
- Royal Australian Chemical Institute Nyholm Lectureship (2017/18)
- ABC RN and UNSW's Top 5 Under 40 Winner (2015)
Motion actively mentors students through innovative projects that connect classroom learning with real-world applications. Her research funding reflects her commitment to democratizing science, with grants supporting Breaking Good, open source drug discovery with young scientists, and initiatives to build public trust in scientific knowledge. She has developed novel educational approaches that integrate cultural competence, accessibility features for students with disabilities, and citizen science methodologies into mainstream chemistry education.
Through her leadership in the Breaking Good project and Open Source Malaria Consortium, Motion has established collaborative networks that span academic institutions, high schools, and community organizations. Her work with the Sydney Nano Institute and Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation demonstrates her commitment to translating basic research into practical applications while maintaining open access principles.