Siouxsie Wiles faced a lot of hate during the pandemic for being a science communicator. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
Siouxsie Wiles faced a lot of hate during the pandemic for being a science communicator. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
Pandemic fallout turned her into a hermit, but her future’s looking brighter. Dr Siouxsie Wiles, in her own words, as told to Elisabeth Easther.
I get my strong sense of social justice from my parents. We lived in South Africa towards the end of apartheid, from when I was 4 to 15, and watching the societal structures of racism being dismantled played an important role in making me who I am. I was also of an age to understand what a country with no social safety net is like, and seeing that made me a staunch believer in socialism, especially taxpayer-funded healthcare and education.
Coming from a working-class family, I didn’t know anything about academia or that academic careers existed. So when some of my undergraduate lecturers at the University of Edinburgh suggested I consider a PhD, I didn’t know what that was. I was very privileged to go to university before fees were introduced and I even got a small living allowance, so I finished my studies with just a small debt.
Pink hair is part of Siouxsie's identity. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
I became fascinated with microbiology in my teens, reading a book called The Fireside Book of Deadly Diseases about things like the plague and tuberculosis. That got me marvelling over microbes, how they’re in the engine room of everything and how they’ve shaped human history. I was astonished such tiny creatures could turn our world upside down, though at the time, I wasn’t thinking about my own world being turned upside down. So it was both horrifying and fascinating being a microbiologist during the pandemic, watching the virus travel around the world, and seeing how much of what happened was caused by how countries and their leaders responded to the virus, rather than the virus itself.
When I was 16, I started dyeing my hair various shades of purple. I went back to being a brunette at university, but during my PhD decided I wanted to dye it again – blue streaks this time. But the hairdresser refused – “Not with your colouring,” she said, and suggested red or pink. That was 25 years ago and I’ve been pink ever since. It’s part of my identity now. It’s sad that some people struggle to see me as an expert because of my hair, both inside and outside academia. As if my hair colour has anything to do with my qualifications.
Siouxsie attempted to get bacteria to swim or grow different colours. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
Research funding is hard to get in New Zealand, so I’ve had to explore different ways to obtain funding. Like last year, my lab and I worked on an advertising campaign for a probiotic drink called No Ugly Gut. The ad agency used generative AI to develop a bunch of different designs, then asked if I could replicate any of them using the drink’s probiotic bacterium. It was great fun experimenting, seeing if we could get the bacterium to swim or grow different colours. We ended up with a stack of Petri dishes that a photographer turned into beautiful pieces of art that were displayed on huge billboards.
The latest research project I’m seeking funding for is about menstrual cup safety and I’ve become obsessed. Before the pandemic, I was asked to comment on a paper that concluded menstrual cups might be more unsafe than tampons. As a microbiologist, I’ve always worried about them being a source of infection if they aren’t cleaned properly, and I got fired up when I realised how little they’ve actually been studied. Because menstrual cups are great from a sustainability and economic perspective, I wanted to study them so people can use them safely.
As a microbiologist, some people expect me to be a germaphobe, but I’m not. I think that’s because I know what’s risky and what’s not. I’m very diligent about keeping raw meats away from other foods and I always use antibacterial spray on kitchen benches after handling raw chicken or duck. Here’s my top tip: antibacterial sprays need time to kill the bacteria, so spray, then leave for 10 minutes before wiping away.
Auckland has got so much better for cyclists over the past few years, says Siouxsie. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
I never learned to drive a car because I’ve always cycled or used public transport. I intended to learn when I moved to New Zealand, but still haven’t got around to it, and Auckland has got so much better for cyclists over the past few years. I don’t understand why some people hate bikes so much. Each bike is one less car on the road, and improving cycling infrastructure makes areas so much nicer. I was very excited when I realised recently I could fit a large box of Lego on the back of my bike. I’m a huge Lego fan, so now my poor husband doesn’t need to pick me up in the car when I’ve been Lego shopping!
As somebody who did a lot of media during the pandemic, it wasn’t long before I started being harassed. In April 2020, I asked for support from the University of Auckland’s staff risk intervention team. I got very little and the harassment got worse, including my home address and phone number being shared online. By mid-2021, some colleagues and I got so frustrated with the university’s lack of support that we filed personal grievances. We’d asked the vice-chancellor several times to meet with us, but she never did. I’ll never understand why senior management chose to fight me rather than just fix their policies for supporting staff being harassed, and after several failed mediations, in November 2023, I took my case all the way to the Employment Court. The university was found to have breached its health and safety, and good faith obligations, but taking on a powerful organisation with deep pockets has been a very slow, expensive process. I’d like to close this chapter of my life, and I’m just waiting for the judge to decide whether the university should contribute to my costs. Lots of people ask why I’m still there, but I didn’t do anything wrong, so why I should leave?
Gwen Isaac's short documentary was called Siouxsie and the Virus. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
In 2020, director Gwen Isaac was off to Japan to make a short documentary for Loading Docs. When the borders closed, she needed to quickly find another subject, so asked me. The idea made me feel ill, but I’m friends with a historian who told me to document everything, so I said yes, and Gwen captured the mayhem before we went into lockdown in March 2020, when my phone never stopped ringing. Her short documentary was called Siouxsie and the Virus. Gwen kept filming, then made a feature-length doco called Ms Information that followed the growing harassment and threats I was receiving. It seems unreal that people in New Zealand want me dead for being a science communicator during the pandemic, who think I should be executed for crimes against humanity. Gwen even included some of the voice messages I’ve been sent. They are so full of hatred. I feel it’s up to all of us to try to deradicalise those who have fallen for misinformation and disinformation. People think it’s all over now. But things like the second Covid inquiry and the Trump presidency embolden the haters, so I’m quite a hermit these days. I only feel truly safe when I’m outside New Zealand because the abuse changed my life. Saying that, I’m often stopped by people who appreciate what I did. They say hi or tell me how I helped them feel safe during such a difficult time. But the impact it’s had on me and my family makes me sad. To see how toxic the information landscape has become and how people who benefit politically will stoke hatred for their own gains.
I’ve just turned 50 and I spread my birthday celebrations over a week with lots of bike rides and small catch-ups with friends rather than a big party. It’s been a good opportunity to look ahead and think about what the future might hold. Like starting a new research direction with the menstrual cups project. I told you I was obsessed!
To contribute to Siouxsie’s research project, go to auckland.ac.ac.nz.
