This month we welcomed Shahrzad (Zad) Abbasi to the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (Blusson QMI) team as Communications Manager. Zad is responsible for implementing the institute’s communication and media strategy, driving social media engagement and leading the overall communications initiatives of the institute.
Before joining Blusson QMI, Zad was a Media & Public Relations Officer for a government-funded innovation network in Australia co-led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Sydney called the NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN).
A consortium of nine universities, the NSSN brings together researchers with industry and government to accelerate the commercialization of smart sensing technologies in NSW and beyond.
Image: Shahrzad Abbasi, Communications Manager, Blusson QMI.
Joining the NSSN team in 2019, Zad has worked with numerous academic, industry and government partners to promote NSSN’s portfolio and has led the communications efforts for several large cross-institutional and multidisciplinary R&D programs.
In 2020, Zad was part of a team awarded a Communications Impact Award by UNSW’s School of Chemistry for promoting NSSN’s COVID-19 Forums 1 & 2, which were featured in the media by several mainstream Australian broadcasting channels and print outlets.
Parallel to being an industry professional, Zad was a casual academic at UNSW’s School of Media, supporting senior course conveners by teaching into senior-level undergraduate courses including Integrated Brand Communications, Discourse Analysis and Promotion, and Social Innovation and Promotion.
Zad has two master’s degrees in Advertising & Public Relations and Communications & Journalism from UNSW Sydney. Her thesis focused on the intersection of Jungian Psychoanalysis and iconic branding. Her research interests include technology & communications, digital media, and brand management.
Zad has taken up the Communications Manager role at Blusson QMI from Emily Wight whose outstanding leadership in the role benefitted the institute over the last 2.5 years. Emily has joined Gandeeva Therapeutics, a biotech company started by UBC Prof. Sriram Subramaniam, as a Corporate Communications Manager.
Zad looks forward to working with all our members and stakeholders to support advancing our mission and vision through targeted and integrated communication initiatives.
Do you have a story tip for Zad? Please contact her here: shahrzad.abbasi@ubc.ca
