Tom Aechtner is an Associate Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Queensland. As a Westpac Research Fellow alumnus, and a recipient of UQ’s Foundation Research Excellence Award, his research examines antievolutionism, vaccine hesitancy, religion-science conflict, media persuasion, and public perceptions of science.

Tom’s book Media and Science-Religion Conflict: Mass Persuasion in the Evolution Wars (2020),won the International Society for Science & Religion’s 2021 prize for best academic book. His most recent book is Antivaccination and Vaccine Hesitancy: A Professional Guide to Foster Trust and Tackle Misinformation.

He holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, an MA from the University of Calgary, and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta.