SIOUXSIE WILES
Microbiologist and science communicator
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles is really something special. An Associate Professor and Head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland, she spends much of her time making bacteria glow in the dark so as to better study them and come up with new medicines. Her recent achievements include publishing her first book, Antibiotic Resistance: The End of Modern Medicine and being named 2021 Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year. Since last year, she has collaborated with The Spinoff to educate Kiwis about the symptoms and risks of Covid-19, and her infographics created with artist Toby Morris have been picked up by governments around the world.
As if that wasn’t enough, she’s a prolific and witty Tweeter, a Lego and board games enthusiast and a loving mum. And her hair is, I can confirm, just as amazing in person as in photographs (Siouxsie has dyed it fully pink since 2000).
dish caught up with the effervescent scientist to find out what she likes to cook, what food she absolutely can’t stand and what her go-to chocolate mousse recipe is.
What do you like to eat?
Siouxsie: I’m a bit of a supertaster, meaning I have a strong sense of taste and smell, and my daughter is even more extreme than me. Since becoming a parent, our diets have become more restricted because there’s only so many meals you can cook which please the whole family! That being said, I love sweets. And I love seafood. I love prawns, the bigger the better.
Do you like to cook?
Siouxsie: Honestly, I find it a bit of a chore.
I’m quite envious of people for whom cooking is a really important part of their day and their wellbeing.
One of the best things for my cooking was buying a slow cooker. I love that you can get up in the morning, shove some ingredients into it and when you come home, the house smells delicious and the food is ready without extra work. One of my favourites is either a lamb and chickpea stew with Moroccan spices, or I do one with beef and red wine.
You mentioned you have a bit of a sweet tooth. How do you feel about baking?
I love baking. Unlike cooking, baking is absolutely a pleasurable activity for me.
