I graduated with a bachelors degree in applied science majoring in microbiology at QUT. I then went on to complete a research honours year at University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) graduating with first class honours in microbiological science under the supervision of Professor Mohammad Katouli. I then completed my masters in Molecular Biology at UQ under the supervision of Professor Jeffrey Lipman. I then worked as a RA for a year for BTCCRC and then most recently for CTAP. I commenced in October 2018 my PhD under the supervision of Professor Jason Roberts, Dr Fekade Sime and Dr Suzanne Parker. The title of my PhD is The microbiological effects of Antimicrobial de-escalation: An in-vitro evaluation in a dynamic infection model. I will be looking to particularly investigate the effect of Antimicrobial de-escalation on the emergence of Antimicrobial resistance in gram negative pathogens.
I have had a few highlights of my career thus far. Presenting my honours work at the ASM meeting in Maleny (MiM 2012), presenting my masters work at the RBWH healthcare symposium in 2014, working with Dr Dwaraka Ranganathan to get two abstracts accepted for the American Society of Nephrologies Kidney week in Philedelphia in 2014 and then to get my masters experimental work published in the Peritoneal Dialysis international journal in 2016 (9th most read paper) and finally to have published under the supervision of Dr Suzanne Parker a paper in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis in 2017.
I am motivated by a curious nature and general thirst for knowledge. The reason I became a scientist was because it combines all my passions in life: learning, discovering, laboratory work, networking, teaching and most importantly serving humanity. If the work I am doing can impact even just a single life then I will consider my work a success.
I was born and grew up in Durban, South Africa and moved to Brisbane, Australia with my parents when I was 16 years old. In my personal life I am a member of the Sathya Sai International Organisation which is a spiritual service organisation that does a lot of humanitarian work internationally and locally. I have been working within the organisation as a member for most of my life and as a young adult leader for the past 5 years in various capacities. Some activities I undertake within this organisation include serving food to those in need in Brisbane CBD, volunteering at the Sathya Sai School in Murwillumbah, volunteering as a driver for blue care Australia, running education in human values classes for children, doing entertaining concerts for the elderly in nursing homes around Brisbane, donating plasma as well as various humanitarian aid activities in India and South Africa. I am also a part of a team that delivers an online and residential series of modules on leadership for SSIO young adults from all over the world known as the Sathya Sai International Leadership Program. Other than my work within the SSIO I enjoy going to the gym for cycling (spin) classes and zumba classes, reading novels and scientific literature, spending time with my family, singing and playing acoustic guitar. I also enjoy adrenaline activities like skydiving when my budget permits. I am an avid football fan and support Liverpool FC in the EPL as well as Barcelona FC in La Liga.
