Skills: Andina has an interest in clear and concise communication and has a keen eye for detail. She enjoys editing documents to weed out jargon, as well as copyediting and proofreading to ensure consistency.
Qualifications: Andina has a PhD in biochemistry (molecular virology), and a degree in canine behavioural sciences. She is an Accredited Editor (Australian Institute of Professional Editors, 2009) and is also an accredited editor for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). She is also a member of the Australian Science Communicators (ASC).
Experience: After a period in postdoctoral research, Andina worked for 12 years in the Australian Public Service and CSIRO in science administration and advisory roles, with a focus on gene technology and its regulation. These roles required skills in writing and editing documents on technical subjects for lay readers.
At Biotext, Andina has edited manuals and reports for a range of clients, with a focus on animal health and welfare. Clients have included Animal Health Australia; the Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, and Health; the World Health Organization, and UNAIDS. Andina is a skilled user of MasterDocs, a web-based tool for collaborative authoring and editing.