IMB Sip and Science: Language of the Land

Featuring Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre and creator of Tracker, Daniel Riley and IMB researcher, Dr Zeinab Khalil, this conversation will dive deep on the secrets that lay within the natural world around us, and how we can uncover them.

Wiradjuri choreographer Daniel Riley evokes an immensely powerful and personal story of his Great-Great Uncle, Alec "Tracker" Riley in Tracker. Alec, a Wiradjuri Elder and Tracker, served the New South Wales Police Force for 40 years, leading numerous high-profile cases. As an Elder of his community he forged a path between the enforced colonial system in which he worked and his Wiradjuri lore. Tracker takes inspiration from his legacy and examines the battles First Nations people have shared for generations.

Dr Zeinab Khalil specialises in discovering new medicines from nature, particularly from microbes living in soil and from marine life. She is Program Manager of Soils for Science, an Australian-first citizen science program dedicated to finding new antibiotics needed in the fight against drug-resistant infections.

Learn more about the panellists below or come along and ask a question - we're sure you'll have plenty!

Admission to the IMB Sip and Science series includes a drink of choice on arrival

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Daniel Riley | Artistic Director, Australian Dance Theatre & Company

Daniel is a choreographer, dancer, teacher and creative from the Wiradjuri nation of Western NSW, and is currently Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre.

He began his dance training at Quantum Leap, ACT and since graduating from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2006 has danced for Leigh Warren & Dancers (2005-2006), New Movement Collective UK (2014), Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre UK (2014), Chunky Move (2019) and was a senior artist with Bangarra Dance Theatre (2007-2018).

In 2019 Daniel joined ILBIJERRI Theatre Company as an Associate Producer (2019-2020), and became the company’s Creative Associate (2020-2021). His time with ILBIJERRI allowed him to partake in an Executive Leadership Program where he gained executive level skills to lead and run an arts organisation in the future.

In 2020 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Contemporary Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts, where he launched and led Kummarge, a self-determined mentoring program for First Nations dance students. In 2021 he worked for Moogahlin Performing Arts as Birrabang Miil (outside eye) for the Yellamundie@HOME – Naarm Festival and joined the cast of Stephanie Lake Company’s Manifesto for the first major creative development.

He has worked as an independent dancer, director, teacher, advocate, choreographer and sat on the Board of Chunky Move (2019-2022).

Daniel’s choreographic credits include Victorian College of the Arts: WAX (2021), RISE (2020), Louisville Ballet, USA: Tonal (2020), Sacred Shifts (2015), Melbourne International Arts Festival: Tanderrum (2019), Dancenorth: Communal Table (2019), Bangarra Dance Theatre: Dark Emu (2018), Miyagan (2016), BLAK (2013), Riley (2010), Sydney Dance Company: Reign (2015), QL2 Dance: Hit the Floor Together (2013, 2018), QUT: Twelve Ascensions (2013), Thirteen Ascensions (Twelve Ascension Rework) (2018), Third Row Dance Company UK (2014).

His film credits as Director and Choreographer include: mulunma – Inside Within (2021) for RISING: Melbourne & Yirramboi, and ACT V (2021), for The Australian Ballet’s Bodytorque Digital 2021. As performer: Dan Sultan: Under Your Skin, Stephen Page (Bangarra Dance Theatre): Spear in which he worked as Director’s Attachment.

He has been nominated at the Australian Dance Awards (2010, 2013) and for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Deadly Awards (2010, 2012 & 2013). Daniel is highly experienced in conducting masterclasses, facilitating workshops and teaching professional company class for a range of organisations, educational institutions and dance companies across Australia and around the world." Daniel, a Wiradjuri choreographer and dancer, is the Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre. He has danced for renowned dance companies and served in leadership roles at ILBIJERRI Theatre Company. His contributions include teaching at the Victorian College of the Arts and choreographing for various festivals and ballets.

Dr Zeinab Khalil | Researcher, IMB

Dr Zeinab Khalil is a researcher at The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), where she specialises in discovering new medicines from nature, particularly from microbes living in soil and from marine life. She is Program Manager of Soils for Science, an Australian-first citizen science program dedicated to finding new antibiotics needed in the fight against drug-resistant infections. Australians have collected more than 10,000 samples of soil, which Zeinab and her team are exploring to find new antibiotics and other medicines.

Zeinab has discovered hundreds of molecules from nature that show potential to be developed into new or improved treatments for infectious, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and pain; and new agrochemicals to safeguard animal health and protect crops and the environment.

Zeinab grew up in Egypt, with parents who were both doctors. She always planned to study medicine too, but learning that some patients died of resistant infections because we didn’t have treatments convinced Zeinab to instead study pharmacy so she could learn how drugs are developed, how they interact with people and how they can impact treatment. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences with honours then postgraduate courses in microbiology and immunology in Egypt, USA and Germany, before moving to IMB for her PhD.