Careers Breakfast with Alumni

Life Beyond Bachelor of Biomedicine

Wednesday 22 April | 7.45am - 9.30am | Dining Room, Melbourne Business School

Gain firsthand insights from a diverse group of Bachelor of Biomedicine alumni.

QUESTION – What do a public health physician, an optometrist, a medical negligence lawyer, a genetic counsellor, a dentist, a public health strategist, a clinical trial coordinator, an engineer and an obstetrician-gynaecologist all have in common?

ANSWER – A Bachelor of Biomedicine!

Whether you have specific career goals in mind – or you’re not quite sure what lies ahead just yet – this event is a must-attend!

Meet those who have been in your shoes, who are now smashing it in their field of expertise. Understand firsthand about the career opportunities that a Bachelor of Biomedicine offers you. A morning designed to equip you with more information to step into the "world of work" or further study.

This event is run by the School of Biomedical Sciences for its undergraduate Bachelor of Biomedicine students.

Who should attend?

Current Bachelor of Biomedicine students – this event is particularly designed for final-year students thinking about career options and opportunities.

What to expect

We’ve put together an exciting group of Bachelor of Biomedicine graduates ready to share their professional journey with you.

In small groups you will have an opportunity to talk about:

what a typical workday involves
what helped along the way
what kept them motivated
how they navigated any early career hurdles.

Meet our Alumni

	Akshita Sundaresh Physiotherapist Akshita completed her Bachelor of Biomedicine in 2011 and a Doctor of Physiotherapy with Distinction in 2014. Akshita started her graduate year at St Vincent’s Hospital, progressing to Senior Orthopaedic Physiotherapist roles at St Vincent's and The Royal Children's Hospital. She has published research in the area of limb salvage surgery for sarcomas, presented at conferences, and collaborated with consumer and experts within the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance to optimise patient care and service delivery. Akshita further completed a Graduate Certificate in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and now works in the Children's Pain Management Service at The Royal Children's Hospital. She also holds a care coordinator position at St Vincent's Hospital and is an examiner and case writer for the Australian Physiotherapy Council, assessing overseas trained physiotherapists as part of their registration.
	Chaewon Baik Clinical Optometrist Chaewon is a University of Melbourne graduate, completing a Bachelor of Biomedicine followed by a Doctor of Optometry. She is a clinical optometrist who has recently been working in Warrnambool, caring for patients across rural communities. While her professional life focuses on eye health, she also has a strong passion for the arts, which began during her time as a student at the University of Melbourne. In her spare time, she enjoys both creating and watching theatre, supporting productions from amateur groups to professional companies, including the University of Melbourne’s student theatre clubs.
	Clare Thomas Engineer Clare Thomas graduated from a Bachelor of Biomedicine with a major in Bioengineering Systems in 2014, and tried out the Master of Biomedical Engineering before transferring to Electrical Engineering, as she enjoyed all the electrical subjects the most. During her undergraduate, she worked for the University of Melbourne in Alumni Relations and Fundraising, then did an 11-month internship at Rolls-Royce in Germany followed by one at AMOG Consulting and a start-up in Melbourne called Nura. Being a workshop demonstrator at Unimelb was also a pivot part of her University experience. She is now a Senior Engineer (and Associate Director of AMOG’s UK company) at AMOG working in software and offshore engineering.
	Declan McGavin Medical Negligence Lawyer \| Lander & Rogers Declan graduated from the Bachelor of Biomedicine in 2013 with a concurrent Diploma in Music. They went on to study medicine at Melbourne Medical School before relocating to Queensland to work as a junior doctor in the Whitsunday region. Upon returning to Melbourne, they commenced a JD at Melbourne Law School and continued to work part time in the Emergency Department and in the COVID-19 response team. After graduating, they worked as a solicitor at the Coroners Court of Victoria. Declan now works at Lander & Rogers as a medical negligence lawyer. Their day to day work primarily consists of assisting hospitals and their clinicians to manage medical negligence claims and to assist with coronial investigations.
	Josh Ginnane Public Health Physician & Researcher \| Burnet Institute Josh completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine in 2011 and remained at the University of Melbourne to undertake the MD/MPH program. He subsequently worked as a medical doctor in hospitals across Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland for four years before commencing specialty training in public health medicine. During this period, he managed infectious disease outbreaks, developed health promotion programs, evaluated health services, and conducted research to inform health guideline development. In 2022, he interrupted his training to complete a Master of Business Administration in Spain. He passed his final specialist examinations in 2024 and became a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine in 2025. Josh works at the Burnet Institute in the Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health group, focusing on projects to improve pre-eclampsia screening and prevention in India and sub-Saharan Africa. Alongside this role, he is completing a PhD examining the impacts of extreme heat on maternal health services in Bangladesh. Outside of work, he enjoys travel, reading, and spending time with family.
	Franjesca Cercarelli Speech Pathologist Franjesca followed her Bachelor of Biomedicine with a Master of Speech Pathology, and is currently working as a Paediatric Speech Pathologist at a non-for-profit organisation. In her role, Franjesca works closely with children and their families, supporting their communication and developmental needs, from initial assessment to discharge. She particularly enjoys supporting toddlers and empowering parents, caregivers and educators through practical and accessible education and support. Franjesca works as part of a multidisciplinary team, regularly collaborating with her allied health colleagues and external stakeholders to provide functional, holistic and person-centred supports. Outside of work, she enjoys crocheting, Pilates and trying new bakeries.
	Layqah Khan Clinical Trial Proposal Coordinator Layqah coordinates clinical trial proposals for Veritus Research. She was previously a PhD student at the Burnet Institute and Monash University, working with the Malaria and Infectious Disease Epidemiology group. Following her Bachelor of Biomedicine, Layqah completed her University of Melbourne Biomedicine Honours degree (Microbiology and Immunology) at the Peter Doherty Institute in 2022. Her project focused on investigating the IgG3 immune response to malaria infection during pregnancy and its association with small for gestational age babies with a cohort from malaria-endemic Malawi. Additionally, she has worked as a research assistant for Professor Freya Fowkes, where she contributed to research expanding molecular detection methods of malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
	Mariana Lauretta Research Associate, Associate Genetic Counsellor, Speech Pathologist After her Bachelor of Biomedicine, Mariana went on to complete a Master of Speech Pathology and Master of Genetic Counselling at the University of Melbourne. Mariana worked in speech pathology private practice, before commencing as a clinician-researcher at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Combining her skills as a Speech Pathologist and Associate Genetic Counsellor, Mariana currently works in a research clinic that provides genetic testing for children with severe speech sound disorders. She also works as a clinical genetic counsellor at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
	Natalie Molino Public Health Strategist Natalie is a public health professional with a background spanning biomedicine, global health policy, and population‑level prevention. She began her career studying biomedicine and public health before spending several years overseas working in global health policy in Norway with organisations connected to the WHO and broader UN system. After returning to Australia, Natalie helped establish the Sandro Demaio Foundation, leading initiatives to strengthen the food and public health environment. That work drew her into broader conversations about the role private health insurers can play in system change, ultimately shaping her pathway into the health insurance sector. In her current role, Natalie is the Proposition Health Lead at Medibank, where she specialises in the design, implementation, and optimisation of evidence‑based health and wellbeing solutions for corporate clients. She partners closely with providers and internal stakeholders to ensure services are clinically robust, people‑centred and aligned with Medibank’s strategic direction.
	Safinah Hambali Dentist Dr Safinah Hambali completed her University of Melbourne Bachelor of Biomedicine in 2012 and went on to graduate with a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2016. She is Principal Dentist at Northvale Dental. She is passionate about providing the best care for her patients and leading a committed dental team. Safinah loves the challenging nature of dentistry and her honest and comprehensive approach with patients aims to provide tailored solutions that will last. She strives to give patients of all ages the confidence to smile with her emphatic nature and holistic approach. Away from the dental chair Safinah balances her life by being active, eating healthy, challenging herself with Reformer Pilates, socialising at new Melbourne café hotspots and enjoying cups of specialty coffee.
	Stella Italiano Obstetrician & Gynaecologist \| Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital After completing the Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne, Stella followed with the Doctor of Medicine and after internship was accepted into the training to become a FRANZCOG. Stella is passionate about supporting the next generation of medical professionals and has held various teaching, leadership and mentor roles throughout her training and career. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her young family, pilates and doing walking tours when traveling.