Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology provides facility for graduate research work leading to the degrees of Masters of Science (MSc), Masters of Biomedical Science (MBiomedSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
In order to undertake a PhD, prospective postgraduate students will have completed a degree of Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with Honours, or a Bachelor of Medical Science. Candidates normally undertake the degree on a full-time basis for a period of three to five years. The University awards a degree of Doctor of Philosophy for a thesis based upon a candidate's independent research in a field within the discipline of Anatomy and Cell Biology. This research must constitute a significant contribution to knowledge and demonstrate the candidate's capacity for carrying out original research.
Postgraduate students are considered important members of our department and the students are invited to take part in activities in the department, including teaching and seminars. They are also encouraged to present their work at national and international scientific conferences. Collaborative projects with other departments, on and off campus, are also encouraged.
Students interested in undertaking a postgraduate degree in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology are encouraged to visit our departmental research web sites for information on the main areas of research in the department.
Testimonials
 |
Jonathan is in the 3rd year of his PhD candidature in the Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology. The primary focus of his research is understanding how being born early (preterm birth), can affect the development of the heart.
“10% of all babies born in Australia are born prematurely (<36 weeks of gestation) and it is very important to know if being born early makes it more likely that as adults, these people will develop heart disease. Although all researchers believe their organ/protein/system is the best and coolest thing in the world, I have to say that the best organ in the world is actually the heart. After all, which organ can you survive without, for the least amount of time? Yes, you guessed it, it’s the heart.
I originally came to Monash extremely bitter about not getting into medicine, and decided to do a Bachelor of Biomedical Science. After I finished my degree I realised that not getting into medicine was a great thing for me, and decided to pursue a life in research instead.
The Honours year was at times a difficult, frustrating, humbling, wonderful and odd experience. I soon came to realise that research was definitely for me. I have a deep seated love of science. My feelings are that a natural sense of curiosity, persistence and hard work are the most important characteristics for success in an honours year or PhD. Other factors are luck and working in a harmonious environment. I finished Honours and decided that doing a PhD was the logical extension of doing what I loved.
The advantage of a PhD is the ability to pursue a project in a fairly independent manner and take responsibility for it. The primary disadvantage for me is that a PhD is a very full time job, which can be daunting if you’ve only ever been an undergraduate student before. My tip: make time for social events, otherwise you will end up a closet nerd.
Fun Fact: Madame Jeanne Calment lived from 21 February 1875 – 4 August 1997. She is the oldest person to have ever lived, at 122 years and 164 days old. In this time her heart beat at least 5,154,298,240 times, without taking a single break. Now that’s impressive!”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |
Dr Lina Gubhaju recently graduated as Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology.
My PhD project investigated the effect of preterm birth on the development of the neonatal kidney.
Having very recently submitted my PhD thesis after years of hard work, I feel very proud of what I have achieved not only professionally, but personally. Although at times my PhD was overwhelming and took over my entire life, it taught me a lot about myself. I also feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in the new research precinct recently built at Monash University (Building 76 & 77). These new laboratories and equipment are state-of-the-art, and our Department is home to world-leading developmental biologists. To collaborate with experts in my field has been extremely rewarding and I look forward to their continued support in my future endeavours.
My PhD has given me a renewed sense of self, and I have gained many transferrable skills needed for success in any chosen career. However, I aspire to work in the area of clinical research and make a difference to the scientific world, and more importantly the public!
What some of our other students (current and past) are saying
Read Belinda's full testimonial here
"....each topic is interesting because you can relate it to your own growth and see how amazingly complex the human body is...." |
Read James's full testimonial here
"....I actually did real experiments, not just fake ones, and instead of rote-learning, actually discovered major concepts for myself...." |
Read Daniel's full testimonial here
"....the most advanced research, the best scientists, and the coolest experiments are right at your doorstep...." |
Read Joon's full testimonial here
"....who knows, maybe one day I could contribute to a medical breakthrough..." |
Read Rebecca's full testimonial here
"....after my first year I realized that I had in fact followed the right path, being a scientist is amazing...." |
Read Kristy's full testimonial here
"....even with the most minor result, my research has contributed to the world...." |
Read Sarah's full testimonial here
"....I now lead my own research group in the field of male reproduction doing basic and clinical research...." |
Interested in doing a PhD?See what new and exciting Research is being conducted in the Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology |
