Reflecting on another year of Learning & Teaching success

The School of Biomedical Sciences is home to world-leading education and research, and for our students (and staff) it's a vibrant and innovative seat of learning. In 2025 SBS taught 105 subjects, attracting 15,792 students (up 4% from 2024).

This mammoth achievement is thanks to our skilled and dedicated academic and professional staff.

Alongside day-to-day learning and teaching management, we have enhanced student belonging with SBS and MDHS-supported programs including the inaugural homeroom NUCLEUS, successfully led by James Ziogas with fabulous support from faculty and SBS communications lead, Michelle Kelso. Events including Prof in the Park, Lap it up with Liz Molloy (Associate Dean Learning & Teaching, MDHS) and the Biomedical Sciences Student Society BBQ on South Lawn saw students mingle with academics - and get some exercise along the way!

Image: Learning & Teaching academics attend Lap It Up event in Princes Park

It's wonderful when achievements are recognised in ways that showcase our Learning and Teaching excellence and innovation and in 2025 grants and awards included:

  • A/Prof Amber Willems-Jones (DBP), recipient of the SDR Scientific Education Award from the Australian Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (ASBMB).

Image: A/Prof Amber Willems-Jones with students

  • Dr Makhala Khammy (DBP), recipient of the Gillian Shenfield Early Educator Award from the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT).

Image Makhala Khammy with Prof Kellie Charles (USyd)

  • Drs Dan Clarke, Yu May Soh, Sophie Pacquet-Fifield (DMI) who received travel awards to attend The Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM).
  • Keenan Hellyer (DAP), who was part of a MDHS team that received the University of Melbourne, Norman Curry Award for Innovation and Excellence in Educational Programs.
  • Prof Diana Stojanovski (DBP) won the MDHS Staff Excellence Award ​for Graduate Researcher Supervision
  • L&T grants (University/MDHS) were awarded to teams led by A/Prof Angelina Fong (DAP) and A/Prof Graham Mackay (DBP) that will improve accessibility of learning materials to neurodiverse students and better integrate the theme of sustainability into our curricula respectively.
  • There were also numerous staff presentations on L&T innovation made across international, national, and University conferences. These included presentations at ISSOTL (International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning), HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) and ACSME (Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education). Discipline-based society conferences included ASI, ASBMB, ASM, ASCEPT, AuPS and, ANZCA. There were also numerous presentations made by SBS staff at MDHS L&T conference and SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) community of practice events.

Image: SBS educators with UniMelb colleagues at ISSOTL, New Zealand, 2025

  • SBS academics supervised eight Honours/Master of Biomedical Sciences students who conducted SoTL-based research projects with a number of students presenting their research at conferences.

It has, as ever, been a busy year but one of enormous achievement and success in delivering, refining and innovating across our diverse educational programs. Here's to the new year!

Prof Robyn Slattery, A/Prof Graham Mackay & A/Prof Angelina Fong