What is Monash Sensory Science?

In 2017, Professor Jamie Rossjohn developed scientific outreach activities that embrace those in the community that are disadvantaged; namely he engaged the National Disability Network/Job Access/Vision Australia to employ people in his laboratory with disabilities. Within this initiative, Jamie has employed a project officer/artist in residence, Erica Tandori.

Erica is a legally blind artist, researcher and academic, exploring the intersection between art, vision loss and science.  She was diagnosed with a form of juvenile macular dystrophy at the age of 23, while in her first year of art school. Erica’s PhD focused on capturing the entoptic effects of macular dystrophy through art, conveying an ‘eye-witness’ account of blindness.

As artist in residence, she is generating tactile displays and multi-sensory, multimodal artworks that makes science including Jamie’s research accessible to the low vision and blind community.  Jamie and Erica have hosted a number of Sensory Science exhibitions nationally covering the fields of immunity, vision and cancer.

The Monash Sensory Science team have been recognised for their contributions to Diversity and Inclusion: Winner of the Monash University 2018 Vice-Chancellor’s Diversity and Inclusion Award, Finalist of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Eureka Prize for STEM Inclusion 2019, 2020 Breakthrough of the Year Finalist at the Falling Walls Conference and Berlin Science Week; and recently the ‘Highly commended’ Award in the Design strategy of 2023 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.

Read coverage of this work:

  • The Age: Science relies on light. What about people who can’t see?
  • The ARC: Australian Laureate Fellow launches Sensory Scientific Exhibition and Discovery day
  • The BDI: Bringing the magic of biomedical research to the low vision community
  • ASBMB (USA): Unravelling the mind’s eye – science through a novel lens
  • Immunology & Cell biology: Access all areas: multisensory science exhibitions tailored toward blind, low-vision and diverse-needs communities
  • BBC: Cambridge university sensory-science art for people with sight loss
  • The Australian: Art, internships open biomedicine to visually impaired

Read publications on this work:

    • Cell: Advancing accessible science for low-vision and diverse-needs communities. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.020
    • Immunology & Cell Biology: Making science accessible for blind and low-vision people, and those with diverse needs. DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12760
    • Immunology & Cell Biology: Access all areas: multisensory science exhibitions tailored toward blind, low-vision and diverse-needs communities. DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12738 

We will be expanding these Sensory Science exhibitions and bringing them to schools and internationally. If you are interested in having us come to your school or assist with setting up something similar at your institute, please send us an enquiry at Contact Us.

Watch videos below of our Sensory Science exhibitions as we create multi-sensory and multimodal artworks to communicate current biomedical research to blind, low vision and diverse needs audiences.

Monash Sensory Science Events

Coeliac Australia Gluten-Free Expo

October 5 and 6, 2024

​​Don’t miss Australia’s largest 100% Gluten-Free Event in Victoria!  It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn, taste, and shop the latest in gluten-free food.  With many exhibitors offering show specials, attendees can grab a bargain while discovering new and delicious options. You don’t want to miss this exciting event!

Come find us at the Rossjohn lab – Monash Sensory Science stand.

We are delighted to be part of the Coeliac Australia’s Gluten-Free Expo! We are autoimmune disease researchers, especially coeliac disease. We have created artworks, tactile models, and multisensory science books containing audio visualisation of cellular activity for blind, low vision and diverse communities. Come and see us at the Health Hub where you’ll be guided through a tactile journey from gluten to the development and pathology of coeliac disease.

Gluten is more than just an allergy! Join us to explore how gluten triggers a pro-inflammatory immune response and its impact on patient health and quality of life.

What’s on

Education Stage

  • Gain valuable insights on managing a gluten-free diet and the latest research in coeliac disease.

Fun for the Kids

  • Enjoy activities designed for our younger attendees.

Sample, Taste, and Shop

  • Discover a fantastic lineup of exhibitors and food vendors ready to tantalise your taste buds.

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

For more information visit here.

Melbourne stage schedule

Exhibitors here

Tactile Creations with Erica Tandori

October 3,4 & 5, 2024

As part of Alter State Festival, a bi-annual celebration of disability, creativity and culture presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and Arts Access Victoria, the NGV presents a multisensory journey through the world of immunology, the study of the human immune system, in an inclusive art-making workshop led by low vision artist Erica Tandori.

This activity is open to all ages and abilities including those with blindness, low vision and diverse needs. All materials are provided.

Erica Tandori, a legally blind Artist in Residence at Monash University’s Rossjohn Laboratory, creates multisensory science exhibitions for blind, low vision and diverse needs communities.

Erica’s art practice explores the interplay between art, science, blindness, and visual perception. Her PhD focused on the lived experience of blindness caused by juvenile macular dystrophy. Utilizing the very language of vision itself -visual art – to describe vision loss through oil painting, drawing and digital works, Erica created an eyewitness account of her own blindness, which has changed our understanding of how macular dystrophy may appear from the lived perspective.

Her work has earned national and international recognition, including the Eureka Prize for STEM inclusion, honours at Victorian Premier’s Award, featured at United Nations AI for Good, Symposium, and Berlin Falling Walls Breakthroughs in Science.

Alongside artistic pursuits, she researches enhancing accessibility in art for blind and low-vision communities.

Free entry

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square

NGV Australia Learn Studio
Ground Level

Booking is not required. You can drop-by any time between 11am and 2pm.

More information here

Past Events

Monash Sensory Science Exhibition on Autoimmunity

June 30, 2023

‘My Goodness’ Interactive Multisensory Science books

August, 2021

AI for Good Global Summit 2020

July, 2020

‘Possible Impossibles’- National Science Week

August, 2020

Second Sensory Scientific Exhibition and Discovery Day 

December, 2019

Sensory Scientific Exhibition and Discovery Day 

May, 2018

Extrasensory, National Science Week

August, 2019

Sensory Science – An LEI Exhibition to Stimulate the Senses

October, 2019

Activities

HIV Capsid couscous Project

This is a 3D model making workshop with our artist in residence, Erica. The workshop explores how to build a high resolution model of the HIV Capsid molecule without a 3D printer, just using chicken wire and couscous.

Instructions to make your own tactile HIV capsid (document file)

HIV Capsid template

Multi-sensory ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) – Presented in ASMR for audiences with low vision and blindness (audio file)

View activity

HIV Capsid data projection Project

This HIV Capsid data projection project brings multi-sensory science to a whole new level. Here our artist in residence, Erica has collaborated with Dr Stuart Favilla from the School of Design at Swinburne University to create a video of viral mutation projections dancing on the surface of a giant HIV capsid sculpture.

The sculpture stands at approximately 1.6 metres high and 1.5 metres at its widest point, big enough for a teenager and a cat to climb inside!  Created with cardboard hexagonal shapes and smothered in millions of tiny foam balls, the life size HIV Capsid sculpture becomes a three-dimensional projection screen displaying computerised viral mutating lifeforms.
Watching the HIV Capsid dance in time to the music brings with it the effect of ‘cortical completion’, where the data movements seemingly dance in time to the driving beat. In rhythmical syncopation, music becomes the dominant sensory channel. During those moments and gestures, identifiable features in sound become ‘attention grabbing’ and the mesmerising (confusing and unidentifiable) visuals then suddenly synchronise and take form in the brain, creating a whole new sensory realm of visual and aural perceptions.

View activity