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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Life as a graduate researcher: Liam Murray
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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Life as a graduate researcher: Helena Roennfeldt
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.
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Life as a graduate researcher: Josh Cubillo
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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Life as a graduate researcher: Ceren Ayas
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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Life as a graduate researcher: Franka Vaughan
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.
Life after graduate research
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Life after graduate research: Dr John Lu
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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Life after graduate research: Dr Hanchao Hou
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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Life after graduate research: Dr Katie Lamb
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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Life after graduate research: Dr Shunfei Yan
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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Life after graduate research: Dr Susi Seibt
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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Life after graduate research: Dr Anna Dziedzic
Dr Anna Dziedzic talks about her research on the use of foreign judges, and her life after completing her PhD.
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Life after graduate research: Dr Pip Karoly
Dr Pip Karoly is working on a seizure forecasting app for epilepsy sufferers – something she'd outlined in her PhD.
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Life after graduate research: Dr Umesh Nair
Umesh Nair uses skills he acquired during his PhD to help researchers meet their own infrastructure needs.