BABSOC presents: Alumni Event - Where are they now?

The School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science in conjunction with BABSOC invited past and present students of BABS to celebrate the future of biotechnology by reminiscing on the past. This event was a great opportunity to welcome back past students in order to impart stories, experiences and advice to current students on careers in science. The event involved a wide variety of alumni from various stages in their career ranging from honours students to experienced professionals.

Where: Colombo Theatre C
When: Wednesday 3rd October 5:30-8pm

Thinking about the future is an important aspect of education and career development, however is fundamentally unpredictable. Alumni show us the infinite paths and opportunities that lay before students from the BABS school. The BABSOC Alumni night showcased the careers and experiences from 5 different panelists with some traditional and some unorthodox roles relating to BABS. They conveyed how a degree prepares you for a multitude of situations and jobs and how seemingly niche scientific skills can be applied in a variety of different career or life choices. Importantly, the perspective of a student was given, each panelist gave their insight to how their life after uni was shaped and the road they took providing not only valuable information and connections but also a diverse and wonderful set of stories.

Helena Malinowska is a graduate from 2010 and has had a multitude of experiences since graduating. From pharmaceutical industry work in various positions, at industry giant Boehringer Ingelheim, clinical trials assistance at St Vincent's Hospital and more leading her to her current position at Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise as a project manager.

Sarah Davis graduated in 2016, and showed students about the application BABS skills in consulting work in addition to her honours. Sarah interned in Shanghai in Healthcare Management Consulting, contributing to a variety of projects such as medical tourism and international women’s hospitals, Sarah has since been involved with Strategy& consulting as part of the gargantuan PwC.

Tim Owen took students to the role of government and the public sector as he relayed his roles in the NSW Government. Tim has risen the ranks from Information Services and Policy Officer to Director of the Ministerial Liaison Office for the Department of industry, ensuring our government is correctly informed with relevant information from the department’s many branches.

Ashton Curry-Hyde was able to relay her experience with post graduate research and the potential for academia, taking students through her route to research. This inclided many roles from a diploma in Genomics & Transcriptomics and Masters degrees at UNSW and working with Royal North Shore Hospital and the Children's Hospital Randwick, even able to co-author in the Journal of Sleep Medicine.

Doris Shim graduated in 2007 and has been through all routes of research. She completed her PhD at Garvan and has since been involved in a multitude of roles across companies like Sengenics and OptumInsight. She has recently been working with Teva developing biologic medicine as Senior Research Scientist.