Testimonials from our past & present students

Daniel Sieiro Mosti is currently studying developmental biology, and is in the third year of his Bachelor of Science.

"I always knew I wanted to do science. I came to Monash with the idea of only studying zoology and hadn't really thought of pursuing any other field. During first year biology, we had a few lectures on pretty much every field of science related to bio. This was great; it exposed me to lots of new areas of knowledge I knew little about, and gave me an idea of what I liked, what I thought was boring, or what simply just wasn't for me.

That was when I discovered what developmental biology was, and from that moment on, I was hooked. I found it intriguing. How can a single cell become an extremely complex human being, or for that matter, anything!? The variety of processes that occur in between, the complexity and perfection, and how it all fits together kept me wondering, wanting to learn more. It really gave me an idea of what a wonderful machine the body is, and how little we know about it. This curiosity led me to choose developmental biology as second and third-year units. A whole new area of knowledge that I didn't know existed has now opened up to me.

One of the aspects that I like most about developmental biology is that it applies knowledge from a very broad spectrum of sciences. Genetics, anatomy, molecular and cell biology, embryology and many others are all part of this new and exciting field. What this means is that you never feel trapped doing just one thing, and you find yourself drawing knowledge from other subjects you thought had no relationship whatsoever, complementing and linking it all together, the way a scientific mind is meant to work (and very useful during exams too).

If you are interested in biomedical sciences, and especially developmental biology, Monash is an amazing place to do it. In fact, they are the first University in Australia to offer a DEV major, which is now a vital discipline intertwined with the advancement of medicine, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, to name a few. Apart from great subjects, lecturers and practicals, Monash is a research-intensive University, and what this means is that the most advanced research, the best scientists, and the coolest experiments are right at your doorstep. An amazing whole new biomed precinct was just built (it really is very cool), and has attracted the world's leading researchers in developmental biology, and is waiting for future scientists to bring novel ideas and undertake exciting projects!

Take on the challenge, and I promise you'll be hooked!!!"

Joon is an international student who became passionate about teaching during his undergraduate Science degree.

“I started my career in Australia as an international student. I was an ordinary and quiet student during my undergraduate Science course.

Then during my Honours degree I had the opportunity to become a demonstrator and teach in various undergraduate classes. I felt I had a real flair for teaching, so these classes inspired me to do a postgraduate teaching course (DipEd).

I then became a secondary school teacher of maths and science for 2 years. I really enjoyed teaching younger students, helping them to become interested in science and maths was a very rewarding experience.

During this teaching experience, I had a chance to get back to the lab for experiments. I was even lucky enough to receive the NH&MRC postgraduate scholarship which led to my current position as a PhD student. My research is focussed on subjects exposed to intrauterine growth restriction and consequently born small.  These small at birth subjects seem to be far more susceptible to diseases in adult life. Fibrosis of the heart, cardiovascular disease and renal disease are some of the consequences I am investigating. I am looking forward to finishing my PhD and going out into the world for another challenge. Who knows, maybe one day I could contribute to a medical breakthrough!

As well as research, my passion for teaching is still alive inside me. I would love to get back in teaching but this time at a University level and inspire more people with better knowledge. Perhaps I will do this alongside postdoctoral research. I want to inspire students just as I too, was inspired by great lecturers. ”

Belinda found that starting developmental biology in the 2nd year of her Science degree satisfied her intellectual curiosity and gave her many options to consider in terms of future career prospects.

"Developmental biology in 2nd year walks you through a timeline of human development from the first stages of egg and sperm development through to how each tissue and organ develops. For me, it was particularly interesting to see how each organ started as a small cluster of cells and ended up being a fully functional part of the human body. In second semester, dissections of actual 'real' tissue are done and this helped to reinforce the complexity of the developmental processes necessary for cells to form major organ systems. The great thing about DEV is that the practical sessions emphasise the theory taught in the lectures. Also, each topic is interesting because you can relate it to your own growth and see how amazingly complex the human body is.

I personally like the reproductive biology topics such as the development of sperm, eggs and also fertilisation. I want to go on to do an Honours degree in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology followed by a Masters in Clinical Embryology. After this I will be able to work in an IVF clinic. If I later decide that I prefer the research aspect more, then I can go back and do my PhD. The options are limitless."

James is currently in his third year of completing a double degree in Biomedical Science and Science and is finding studying developmental biology to be more useful than he originally thought.

"Without a doubt, my university of choice was Monash. It was at Open Day where I witnessed first-hand the friendly atmosphere, down-to-earth and motivated staff, and relevant and interesting course content, with other universities sadly lacking this combined appeal.

The choice to do developmental biology was for me, simple. I wanted to do anatomy, I was interested in human development, and knew it would be a perfect and highly relevant subject to help me obtain entry into postgraduate medicine. I have currently completed DEV2011, DEV2022 and DEV3011 and will go on to do DEV3022, DEV3032 and DEV3990 next Semester and next year.

2nd year DEV was really fun, there were a lot of hands-on dissections which I absolutely loved. 3rd year DEV was fantastic, I actually did real experiments, not just fake ones, and instead of rote-learning, actually discovered major concepts for myself. In fact, DEV has been a really good introduction to research and what it may be like to be a research scientist.  I am now considering research as a potential career choice, alongside postgraduate medicine.

There is one more thing worth mentioning about studying DEV. I really feel that the assessments undertaken throughout the units has given me an edge over other students not doing DEV. Scientific report writing, interpretation of other people's experiments and seminar presentation are all essential skills for any Science student, and I know this has given me much confidence and will be useful in my future career. 

As you may have already figured out, DEV is my favourite subject, and I highly recommend any student wishing to consider a career in the biomedical sphere to undertake these units."

A career in science for Rebecca Neaves was serendipity. She is now passionate about research and is currently doing her PhD in the Australian Stem Cell Centre.

"I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do at university; all I knew was that I wanted to go to Monash, a very small fish in a vast ocean was very daunting. A Bachelor of Science was my first preference because I thought it could lead to many other possible careers such as engineering or medicine. But after my first year I realised that I had in fact followed the right path, being a scientist is amazing. There are so many things yet to be discovered, the list of potential fields is infinite. Every single day is different, never boring with surprisingly lots of excitement.

My love of stem cell biology blossomed very early in my second year of undergraduate studies, up the back of a cell biology lecture. This now seems light years ago as  I am in my third year of a PhD studying hematopoietic stem cell biology. The biggest driver for me is that one day my research may help a small child with leukaemia.

I would have never thought I would be where I am after being so lost, but now I can't imagine doing anything else!"

Kristy really enjoyed the sciences when she was at school. She is currently a junior postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, Seattle.

“Even as a child, I have always had a special interest in medicine and research, having grown up with a cousin afflicted by a genetic disease.  I really enjoyed the sciences at the high school level and subsequently entered into a Bachelor of Biomedical Science degree at Monash University. 

The ability to complete small research projects as part of the Biomedical Science degree was an amazing opportunity and fueled my eagerness to become part of the medical research community. I then went on to complete an Honours degree in the Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology and PhD at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.  Working as part of a research group is a fantastic opportunity to meet a wide range of extraordinary people, and presents many opportunities to travel and communicate your own work with other researchers around the world.  In fact, in my final year of my PhD, I toured Europe and America and met my current supervisor, whom I am now doing postdoctoral research with.

People often ask me whether I enjoy working in research, and I really do.  Whilst sometimes your experiments just will not work, or you end up working really long hours, it is really satisfying when you do finally come up with the answer. I also know that, even with the most minor result, my research has contributed to the world.”

Dr Sarah Meachem has found that a solid background in science has set her up for more than just a career in research. She is a senior research officer, honorary lecturer and the director of the Australian Society for Medical Research to name a few of her current roles.

"As a 7 year old, I knew I wanted to be a scientist. I loved the world around me. I was intrigued how things worked. I loved exploring, learning and discovering. Coupled with that I got good grades in math and sciences.

A teacher once told me "there is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way". So I crafted my career from an Applied Science Degree in biology, to a Masters and then PhD, through the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash University.

I finished by PhD 10 years ago and now lead my own research group in the field of male reproduction doing basic and clinical research. I work at solving the genes and hormones that regulate sperm production for 2 reasons; develop new and better male contraception and find a cure for male infertility.

But what was unexpected, was not just the buzz of researching, but discovering it was all the other benefits…travelling around the world to share my results, working with the gurus of my field, teaching the next generation of scientists and working with the powers that be (the government) in developing and implementing new policies so Australia can meet the futures health challenges. All that from having a solid science background! What a life!"