Spotlight on:
Alumni stories

Meet Connor

Medical student

What first piqued your curiosity about human health and the biomedical sciences?

One of my earliest memories is a dinosaurs documentary which kicked off my love of dinosaurs and introduced me to the science of how they existed and where they came from. At school, I loved learning about physics, chemistry and biology which really sparked my interest in how these processes occur within our bodies.

Why did you choose to do the Master of Biomedical Science at University of Melbourne?

I was drawn to the coursework-research balance of the course. As well as the opportunity to complete a research component that we didn’t get exposure to in undergraduate study and industry experience that would set me up for employability in the Biomedical Science field experience.

What did the degree give you?

I had an excellent mentor who guided me throughout the research component of my degree but also provided me with fantastic life advice and lived experience as a doctor-turned-researcher. This was super useful when it came to applying for medicine.

I also learned a lot of research techniques - problem solving skills, patience, fine dexterity, research and data analysis approaches and developed my ability to reason in situations where there might be multiple options (ie clinical intuition).

What challenged you most as a Masters student?

Research is fairly unconventional of itself, not everything always goes to plan so you need to develop that expectation and be adaptable!

Did your career goals change as a result of your studies?

Absolutely! I didn’t think I would get into medicine nor get to see patients, scrubbing in on surgeries, learning to manage my treatment decisions and procedures and continuing to apply the academic skills that I learned throughout the Masters degree. I'm now in the position as a third year medical student deciding on where I would like to do an overseas elective placement - and thinking about whether I want to be a physician or a surgeon!

This degree was life changing for me and I wouldn’t be where I am without it - I’m so grateful that every single day I get to do so many amazing things!

Meet Yunqi

Customer Success Specialist, Merck

What first piqued your curiosity about human health and biomedical sciences?

Throughout my childhood my family emphasised the importance of health care. I always looked up to my grandfather - he was interested in medicine and pharmacology and this greatly influenced me to pursue a career in biomedical science.

Could you please tell us about your role at Merck?

I work in a customer success specialist role within the commercial team at Merck - a multinational science and technology company. Our customers include pharmaceutical companies, research institutes and universities and I work to understand customer needs. Our team provides solutions to support customers work which includes drug production, vaccine production and research.

What’s your favourite pursuit outside work?

I have a curious mind, I like to explore and try new things - I love swimming, tennis, badminton, table tennis and yoga, to name a few. My curiosity enables me to experience new things, view the world differently and contributes to my happiness.

Meet Celine

Lab Manger > Student Support Coordinator, The Florey

What first piqued your curiosity about human health and biomedical sciences?

My dad is a doctor, and my mother is a nurse, so growing up I was influenced by them and have always been intrigued by human health. My dad's passion for research particularly inspired me.

What was your Masters research project focused on?

My Masters research project involved investigating gene-environment interactions that modulate small non-coding RNAs, specifically microRNAs, in a model of Huntington's Disease called R6/1. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small molecules responsible for regulating gene expression and have been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's Disease, making them potential therapeutic targets. The objective of my research project was to identify candidate miRNAs with therapeutic potential and explore their role in the pathogenesis of Huntington's Disease. The outcomes of this study led to the publication of my first first-author paper.

Could you please tell us a little more about your roles since completing your Masters? 

In my first role at The Florey I was the Laboratory Manager in the Neurodegeneration and Neuropathology group. My role involved planning, organizing, directing, coordinating a variety of activities and day to day operations within the lab. Now, I work as a Student Support Coordinator in the HR team at The Florey to assist and support students (Honours, Masters and PhD) from the pre-commencement phase until the completion of their degree.

Meet Brendan

Senior Business Analyst, Spotify

Why did you choose to do the Master of Biomedical Science at University of Melbourne?

I always had an interest in biomedical sciences. In the final year of my Biomedicine degree I had some fascinating cardiac physiology lectures and wanted to learn more. So I volunteered over my winter break in one of the labs and it gave me a great insight into what the day-to-day looked like for a researcher.

What did the degree give you?

The mix of course and lab work helped me develop a strong theoretical background, then quickly apply it to my day-to-day in the lab. The Masters lab work provided me with a robust scientific skillset, and gave me the critical thinking and evidenced based thinking which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I was able to complement these scientific skills with a wide breadth of coursework which was really helpful.

Could you tell us a little more about your Masters research project?

My research project focused on the effects of diabetes on heart health. The vast majority of deaths in diabetes are caused by heart disease, and our lab believed that diabetic hearts were physiologically different from healthy hearts. My research examined a key protein complex which plays a vital role in normal heart contraction, exploring whether sugar molecules bound to these proteins and stopped them from functioning optimally.

Have you been surprised by the direction your career trajectory has taken post Masters?

Absolutely – when graduating from my undergraduate science degree I never thought I would be living and working in New York less than 5 years later. The skills I developed helped me stand out and thrive when pivoting to a corporate strategy career - my day-to-day is very different but the skills are highly transferrable and extremely valuable.

What's your favourite pursuit outside of work?

Music is a big one. I have many early childhood memories of family karaoke sessions. Music has been a great mood modulator for me. Whether I need to be amped up before a workout or stressful meeting or to mellow out before bed, I always turn to music. There have always been 'soundtracks' to certain phases of my life, and music could always me back to certain memories or places. This is what ultimately drew me to Spotify as a place to work, where I'm surrounded by fellow music lovers!

Meet Bonnie

Program Manager, Translating Research At Melbourne (TRAM)

What piqued your curiosity about human health and biomedical sciences? 

My mother was unwell when I was growing up and we would go to the doctors quite often but they couldn’t quite work out what was happening and what treatment she needed. So I decided then that I wanted to be scientist so I could help my mother with her health.

Why did you choose to do the Master of Biomedical Science at University of Melbourne?

When I finished my Bachelors degree I wasn’t ready to find a job. I was really curious about research, in particular cancer research - and I wanted to be based at the best cancer research institute in Australia: the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

What did Master of Biomedical Science give you?

My research project gave me hands on and in-depth experience and exposure into academia and how the research world functions. I loved that I could contribute to research in such a real sense and collaborate on projects. I worked on pre-clinical models, small molecule drug development, animal studies and patient studies in oesophageal cancer patients. The degree gave me the time to work out what I wanted to do next and it opened doors of opportunity.

I wouldn’t be able to have the job I do now at TRAM if I didn’t do my Masters. It gave me the exposure and skillset for research and commercialisation. Now I work with researchers at TRAM to guide them on their research impact journey and it’s so helpful to have been in research and deeply understand the perspective of a researcher.

What were the advantages of studying in the precinct?

I loved being around the medical research institutes, I spent most of my time at Peter Mac but also collaborated with Bio21.

What's your favourite pursuit outside of work?

I’m a golfer which is surprising to a lot of people because there aren't many young female golfers around! It's a four hour game so I get to be outdoors for this time and find it very refreshing.