Graduate researchers are a diverse and inspiring group of people, each following their own pathway to a research degree at the University of Melbourne. Often these individual stories and perspectives influence their choice of PhD topic.
Your research degree will prepare you for a career in research, but it can also lead to many other places. Some of our graduates take research positions in Australia or around the world. Others join the private sector, run their own business, or work for the government or not-for-profit organisations.
Explore their stories.
Life as a graduate researcher
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Understanding Chinese migrants’ death experiences through a PhD
International PhD candidate Jin Li researches Chinese migrants’ experiences in death and dying – and how they may affect migrants’ access to Australian health services.
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The butterfly effect of research translation
Neuropsychology PhD candidate Marnie Drake collaborated with Victorian College of the Arts filmmakers to help people understand dementia, translating her research in brain injury.
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Gender-informed volunteering for disaster recovery through a PhD
Could women’s informal volunteering practices make Australia’s disaster recovery more inclusive and recruit more volunteers? PhD candidate Dominica Meade investigates.
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Improving water recovery in mineral extraction through a PhD
Yuxuan Luo is improving the dewatering process through a PhD in chemical engineering. His advisors have helped him apply an industry perspective to his research.
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Building healthier workplaces through a PhD in architecture
Our workplaces affect our health and wellbeing. Cida Ghosn is evaluating the WELL building standard on three levels: policy, implementation and employee perception.
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More efficient geothermal systems through a PhD in engineering
Tairu Chen is researching geothermal energy to help create a more sustainable system for the heating and cooling demands of commercial and residential buildings.
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Improving health information accessibility through a PhD
Health information is often visual. How accessible is it to people with vision impairment? John Paul Cruz researches the accessibility of Australian health websites.
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Making city planning more sustainable and inclusive through a PhD
Experienced architect and city planner Mark Allan saw how a PhD could benefit his career. His research is creating a framework for better urban renewal projects.
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Making higher education more sustainable through a PhD
Education is key to a more sustainable society. PhD candidate Rita Adjei is evaluating how well sustainability is captured in higher education policies.
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Protecting Australians from radiation with an engineering PhD
Lysander Miller is building a drone to help map radiation sources. The University of Melbourne is helping him find ways to bring research into the real world.
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Searching for queer Indigenous ancestors through a PhD in Arts
Guided by the community, Darcy Wallis researches how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQ+ people in the 20th century navigated their identities.
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More sustainable copper processing through an engineering PhD
Engineering PhD candidate Daniel Dodoo works to predict the properties of copper ore impurities before mining begins to improve efficiency and sustainability.
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Protecting people from influenza through an immunology PhD
Tejas Menon researches how our immune systems respond to the flu – and how that changes as we age. The research may eventually lead to better flu vaccines.
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Preventing ecocide: How a law PhD can protect the environment
A PhD will help Michael Uche Ukponu distinguish himself as an environmental law expert. He works to have ecocide recognised in international law.
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How this PhD candidate is helping uncover why people stutter
Her research has connected Sarah Horton to other people who stutter. She has found meaning and community through her PhD.
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How a PhD candidate is returning native plants to urban Melbourne
Katherine Horsfall is bringing biodiversity – and beauty – back into Melbourne’s suburbs, while building industry connections and launching her business.
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How a music PhD can fuel artistic practice
Monica Lim empowers more people to make music. Her PhD in interactive composition feeds her artistic practice and connects her to collaborators.
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A PhD will allow this psychologist to help more people
Julia Hall hopes to become the first person in her family to complete a PhD. Her research has helped uncover how the pandemic affected children’s development.
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Designing hypersonic vehicles through an engineering PhD
PhD candidate Vincent Liu is partnering with industry to develop autonomous flying technology.
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Experiments in space: how a PhD candidate helps satellites talk
PhD candidate Rob Mearns helps nanosatellites talk to their operations centres. His instrumentation is packed aboard the SpIRIT nanosatellite, now in orbit.
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Developing new medical technologies through a PhD
Negar Zoka is researching new methods of brain stimulation. She is excited about the potential practical outcomes of her research.
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How a passion becomes a University of Melbourne PhD project
Nellie Seale has combined her two passions – cultural institutions and games – into a unique PhD looking at how museums can use games to engage the public.
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How a PhD can support keeping artificial intelligence ethical
PhD candidate Henrietta Lyons is using her legal skills to research the design of systems to appeal decisions made by AI.
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Becoming a champion for arts in disaster relief through a PhD
Disasters can fracture communities. To heal social connections, Anna Kennedy-Borissow is building the case to include the arts in emergency planning.
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How a PhD connects this engineer to new people and ideas
Liam Murray wants his biomedical engineering research to reach patients. He connects to an international, interdisciplinary network to improve human health.
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The injustice of coal: driving decarbonisation through a PhD
PhD candidate Ceren Ayas is researching how justice can be used as a key driver for low-carbon transition away from coal.
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Bringing Indigenous knowledges into classrooms through a PhD
Through his PhD, Josh Cubillo wants to educate and empower non-Indigenous teachers in urban settings, so they can integrate Indigenous knowledges into their curriculum.
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Researching identity construction while building a new life
Franka Vaughan has moved to Melbourne from the UK to complete her PhD. Originally from Ghana in West Africa, Franka is researching identity construction in post-conflict Liberia.
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This PhD candidate empowers people in a mental health crisis
Helena Roennfeldt’s lived experience of the mental health system is informing her PhD research. She is making space for people to talk about their own mental health crises, so these insights can shape new solutions.
Life after graduate research
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Understanding how AI behaves in extreme market events through a PhD
Dr Harvey Huang researched how humans and learning algorithms behave in extreme market conditions. His PhD led to a job developing and evaluating market risk models at NAB.
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Helping older people maintain independence through a PhD
Dr Jesse Zanker helped develop Australia’s clinical guidelines for the management of sarcopenia – muscle loss in old age – during his PhD in medicine.
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PhD graduate’s location data framework adopted by the UN
Dr Greg Scott developed a United Nations-adopted framework to incorporate geospatial information in the Sustainable Development Goals during his engineering PhD.
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A PhD improves violence response services for women with disability
During her PhD in Architecture, Building and Planning, Dr Alicia Yon built a policy framework for better access to violence response services for women with disability.
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Interrupting how we curate Aboriginal art through a PhD
What happens when we curate Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian art together? Dr Jessica Clark’s PhD helped her figure out her place in the art world.
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Assessing genes for myopia through a PhD in biosciences
Dr Jiaheng Xie’s curiosity about biology has taken him from a child who bred pigeons for their colours to a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University.
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How a PhD in law is improving data policy for refugees with disability
Dr Philippa Duell-Piening enrolled in a PhD to research how data management, people with disability and refugee rights intersect – and help inform broader policy discussions.
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How does a truth commission get its authority, asked law PhD
Dr Valeria Vázquez Guevara was troubled by the uncritical celebration of truth commissions. Her PhD examined how these post-conflict institutions were created.
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Fighting antimicrobial resistance with a PhD in engineering
Infections can be a serious complication of medical implants. Dr Xin Li developed an antimicrobial coating for medical implants during her biomedical engineering PhD.
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Fighting tuberculosis and allergies with an immunology PhD
Understanding the immune system helps fight infectious disease. The T cells Dr Catriona Nguyễn-Robertson studied could lead to a better tuberculosis vaccine.
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Finding sustainable city plans through a PhD in urban planning
Dr Ann Maudsley researched the history of grid-based city plans to inform better urban planning. She has found a career to balance her love for research and practice.
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Bridging the gap between pharmacy and dentistry through a PhD
Dr Leanne Teoh began developing the first prescribing tool for dentists in Australia during her PhD. Since graduating, she has launched the tool commercially with partner MIMS Australia.
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Improving how we study neuroscience through a PhD
Dr Erin O’Callaghan was a world pioneer in applying new gene therapy technology that uses viruses. Today she ensures GSK promotes its medicines ethically.
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Where can a PhD take me?
A PhD prepares graduates for a career as a researcher. You will develop expert research skills, international networks and a strong academic reputation.
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Can a PhD lead to a career in industry?
The skills and attributes you develop during a PhD will benefit an industry career. Your creativity, curiosity and grit will make you an effective problem-solver.
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Explaining worker exploitation through an economics PhD
Economist Dr Shashi Karunanethy took a break from industry for a PhD. He wanted to understand why exploitation persists after coercive labour institutions are abolished.
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Telling untold stories through a PhD in migrant history
Dr Melissa Afentoulis was contemplating retirement. Instead she embarked on a PhD, and connected with the Greek Island where she was born in the process.
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Understanding bushfire evacuations through a mathematics PhD
Dr Felicia Eng’s PhD in mathematics has led to a career at IBM. Her research used game theory to explain how people make evacuation decisions in a bushfire.
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Tackling wealth inequality through law: A joint PhD opens doors
A joint law PhD helped Dr Andrea Leiter keep one foot in the University of Vienna while opening doors to new academic opportunities in the University of Melbourne.
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A PhD in Arts is an opportunity to approach problems creatively
Dr Elaine Pratley left her career to pursue a PhD in peacebuilding. Today she advises organisations on how to respond to conflict positively.
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How this researcher explored queer identities through a marketing PhD
Dr Rohan Venkatraman wanted his lived experience as a queer person of colour to inform his PhD. He continues his successful marketing research in the UK.
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Reducing the stigma of child-to-parent violence through a PhD
Dr Cristina Tambasco worked to reduce the stigma of child-to-parent violence through her research. Her PhD has led to a career in the community sector.
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A PhD nurturing Indigenous knowledge launched a tech career
Dr Kagonya Awori is blazing a trail in the tech sector, forging new knowledge in the process.
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The 'right' supervisor, funding and community led to PhD success
An unexpected opportunity to complete a PhD at the University of Melbourne became a life-changing event for Dr Oscar T Serquiña Jr.
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How a PhD created career and life opportunities for this graduate
Dr Martin Reinoso loved solving problems creatively during his PhD. For him, the PhD led to a job, a startup company and Australian citizenship.
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A University of Melbourne PhD can support industry careers
Dr Kayla Heffernan proposed her own thesis topic to her PhD supervisors. Research skills she gained have benefited her career in user experience design.
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How a PhD trained this researcher to find creative solutions
Generous mentors helped Dr John Lu finish his PhD in battery recycling. He continues to pursue difficult questions as a Research Fellow.
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How a research career becomes possible with a PhD
Dr Hanchao Hou gained the skills and knowledge needed to develop a whole new research framework through a PhD at the University of Melbourne.
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How a PhD can lead to improving patient lives
Dr Shunfei Yan helps researchers identify unmet medical needs – a passion he developed during a PhD at the University of Melbourne.
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A joint PhD creates career opportunities around the world
Find out what it’s like to undertake a joint PhD in Germany and Australia. Learn how an international joint PhD can shape your career and your life choices.
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Uplifting children's voices: how a PhD can change careers
Dr Katie Lamb talks about life after her PhD. And the perspectives of children and young people who’ve experienced family violence.
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How a PhD led to an epilepsy clinical trial – and a new career
Umesh Nair uses skills he acquired during his PhD to help researchers meet their own infrastructure needs.
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From a PhD to a mobile app that helps predict seizures
Dr Pip Karoly is working on a seizure forecasting app for epilepsy sufferers – something she'd outlined in her PhD.
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A PhD supports a career in international law research
Dr Anna Dziedzic talks about her research on the use of foreign judges, and her life after completing her PhD.