About me

Since an early age I’ve always been curious to find out how things work and why certain things are the way the are. So exploring a career in research was a natural step for me. When I was accepted into the RRG for an honours project, little did I know I was about to start a great journey with one of the top respiratory labs in the world.  

My research in the RRG

My PhD focused on the ‘why’ of COPD – we knew cigarette smoking and biomass exposure were bad, but we did not know how these exposures could lead to the development and persistence of COPD. Working with Prof Oliver and Prof Burgess, we developed a cellular model which enabled exploration of the impact of cigarette smoke, biomass exposure and viral infection on the extracellular environment in the lung. I was fortunate to have this research take me to Europe, the USA and Canada. Being part of the RRG opened many doors, where a simple email saying where I was from and who I worked with, would get me almost-instant access to leaders in the field.

Where I am now

After my PhD, I made a switch from academics to advertising, and I now work alongside partners in the pharmaceutical industry to help introduce new life-saving medicines into the Australian healthcare environment. I’m fortunate I get to use my learnings from working in the RRG on a daily basis, and still get to be involved in the science without needing to be the one making the science.