Dr Lisa Portolan is a leading Australian cultural studies scholar, author, and media commentator specialising in love, sex, intimacy, gender, and the politics of modern relationships. With a rare ability to combine rigorous academic research with sharp cultural insight and accessible storytelling, Lisa is widely recognised for her work examining how technology, power, and culture shape how we relate to one another.
She is regularly sought out for keynote addresses, panels, workshops, and media commentary, bringing warmth, authority, and intellectual clarity to conversations that sit at the heart of contemporary social life.
Lisa holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from Western Sydney University, where her research focused on how dating apps have transformed intimacy, desire, and relationship dynamics. Her work interrogates the intersection of technology, gender, politics, and emotional life, with a particular interest in how power operates in private and public relationships.
Lisa’s scholarship has been published internationally, and she has authored several books on love and intimacy, including 10 Ways to Find Love (…and How to Keep It). Her books have been published by Routledge and Echo Publishing (an imprint of Bonnier) and released in the UK, US, and Australia.
Dr Portolan is a regular contributor to The Guardian and has written extensively for a wide range of national and international publications. She is a trusted cultural commentator across print, digital, and broadcast media, frequently called upon to offer expert insight on relationships, gender politics, dating culture, and social change.
Her television appearances include The Today Show, Today Extra, Sunrise, The Project, The Drum, and ABC News. Her commentary has featured in outlets ranging from The Sydney Morning Herald to Vogue. Lisa hosts a weekly radio segment, Love Life with Lisa, airing Thursday mornings on 2SER, where she explores contemporary questions of love, intimacy, and connection. She is also a key speaker in the Sydney Opera House’s Let’s Talk series and has been featured on leading podcasts including Osher Günsberg and Alison Brahe-Daddo’s From the Heart.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Lisa delivers engaging, thought-provoking talks tailored to diverse audiences across corporate, cultural, educational, and public sectors.
Topics include:
• Love, sex, and intimacy in the digital age
• Dating apps, technology, and modern relationships
• Gender, power, and politics in private life
• Desire, consent, and emotional labour
• Feminism, masculinity, and cultural change
• The future of relationships and connection
• Navigating intimacy, identity, and selfhood in uncertain times
APPEARANCES / INTERVIEWS
Better Than Yesterday with Osher Günsberg | iHeart
DEEP DIVE: Why do so many young people hate feminism? – triple j
Are We Breaking Up With Dating Apps? – triple j