About Blake
Blake grew up on the east coast of the United States. Self-proclaimed super nerd, Blake had had endless curiosity, an immense appetite for learning, and an unwavering love for the water and nature. Some things never change…
Following the completion of her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from James Madison University in Virginia (USA), Blake spent six months living and working in London, taking every opportunity to explore the UK and Europe on the weekends (and some cheeky weekdays). She then moved to Brisbane, Australia in 2004 to undertake her Honour’s degree at The University of Queensland in shark neuroscience.
In love with Australia, sharks and science, she returned in 2005 to pursue her PhD in the same lab. She explored shark development, neuroscience, ecology and animal husbandry. More importantly, she acquired critical skills in dealing with things that went wrong. What is it they say, ‘Never work with children or animals’? Well, we can confirm that working with baby sharks certainly fits squarely into that ‘not for the faint hearted’ category! Still, her PhD proved to be an overwhelmingly powerful learning opportunity, in science, research, working with industry, and overall personal growth. She came out the other side with not only the successful completion of a doctorate degree, but also the Dean’s Award for Research Higher Degree Theses. She also developed a new passion: science writing.
Blake then shifted gears to spend some time working in the public aquarium industry. She served as Animal Health Manager for a large public aquarium on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. The position allowed her to continue her deep interest in research but also taught her valuable business skills and intimate insight into the innerworkings of industry. She had ample opportunities for networking, initiating collaborations and working with a wide variety of research, government and industry organisations. Her role entailed a great degree of stakeholder engagement, clever communication and people and project management.
Coming back to the tertiary education sector, Blake took on professional roles in research grant administration, student engagement and facility supervision. She also continued to dabble in scientific research, science communication and the delivery of educational programs for kids. If Blake’s face looks a bit familiar, it may be because you have seen her on the news talking about shark bites in Australia and around the world. Through her work on the highly emotive topic of shark bites, Blake has thoroughly refined her skills in effectively communicating with extremely diverse (and often adamantly opinionated) audiences.
In 2015, Blake founded Blake Chapman Communication, and has never looked back. You would be hard-pressed to find another science writer with the passion and dedication Blake brings to your project. Her intense love of science, reliance on data, and breadth of experience allows her to understand, research, develop and communicate concepts in truly unique ways. Her 15 years of research and industry experience and technical knowledge will ensure that your application has been deeply considered, and often in ways that you may not have thought of before, allowing you to put your best case forth.
When you come to Blake Chapman Communication for anything to do with grant writing or development, you’re guaranteed to work with Blake. She cannot wait to work with you!