Associate Professor and Head of Health Data Analytics Team, College of Health and Medicine, ANU
LinkedIn
Pronouns: She/her
Country: Ngunnawal
My PhD is in psychology, UNSW. I was a mental health epidemiology researcher before doing the PhD, and after completing the PhD I became a management consultant in the pharmaceutical industry, worked in the Asia Pacific region then became a Commonwealth public servant and worked extensively in Indigenous health data, research and evaluation.
I live in Canberra and I am from Tokyo, Japan.
Difficult to define due to my non-traditional career pathway.
I started my PhD to become a better mental health researcher. But by the time I finished it, I had realised academic research wasn’t for me. I ended up working as a management consultant in the pharmaceutical industry for six years, working across Asia, and then as a public servant for 12 years in health policy before returning to academia in 2022.
International work was great but domestic health policy was even more interesting. I now have the best job so far for creating a different way to do impactful research that’s useful for health policy and programs. I told a close friend recently that my job is to bring into existence something that doesn’t exist yet using creativity, tenacity and inviting others to join in. I bring the same approach to my role in the EMRC Forum Executive Committee.
I believe I have the skills and experience that are useful for other EMCRs, who are thinking of a non-traditional research career. There are so many different ways to use research skills. I believe diversifying EMCR career pathways is more important today than ever. We need much better job security for thinkers and doers who have an important role in our society. I am passionate about equity and working towards it with and for others.
I joined the EMCR Forum Executive as I believe I can help people find useful support for academic as well as non-academic career pathways. I also wanted to meet interesting people.
I am a Zen Buddhist practitioner and act as the tenzo at our retreats. The tenzo is the temple cook in Japan. In this role, I cook vegetarian food for a week for up to 20+ people at a time. Some people have said they are willing to meditate all day for a week just to eat my cooking—sitting makes people hungry! I am a member of an informal group of Japanese women living in Canberra who like to get together and discuss what it is like for us living and working in Australia. I used to run a lot and would like to get back to running.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of South Australia
@bella_s_bower, LinkedIn
Pronouns: She/her
Country: Kaurna Country
Environmental psychology/cognitive neuroscience. My thesis investigated whether design characteristics of the buildings we occupy modulate neural networks and autonomic activity involved in processes, such as attention, perception, and emotion regulation. It provides a new paradigm for understanding human response to the built environment, which has broad implications for mental health and wellbeing.
I currently live in Adelaide. I’m originally from Victoria.
ECR.
I’ve always been interested in research policy, governance, and leadership. As an emerging researcher who started my career in a different discipline (architecture) and sector (state government), I wanted to see representation and support mechanisms for those entering research careers who have crossed disciplines and sectors.
One of my key interests is understanding what the definition and evaluation of ‘success’ in our sector should be. This is critical as it underpins what qualities and attributes are valued and supported, affecting both the present (culture) and future (how and who teaches and mentors our next generation).
I’ve previously been a swimmer (pool and open-water), surf lifesaver, debater, and singer (classical). Swimming taught me a lot about perseverance and hard work, while debating and singing helped me to build communication and engagement skills. Hand drawing is my special skill. I tend to use it as a way to express my gratitude to others!
Marine Ethnoecologist/ Research Officer, Environment CSIRO
@miburose, LinkedIn
Pronouns: she/her
Country: Quandamooka Country
I am yet to complete a PhD. However, I have over 10 years of research experience in my role with CSIRO. I am hoping to start a PhD this year at UTAS looking at Indigenous ontologies within climate change research.
I live on Quandamooka Country, grew up on Quandamooka Country, and am a Quandamooka woman.
ECR.
I wanted to show that there are alternative definitions of a researcher (without a PhD, although I am going down that route). However, I also want to increase the acceptance of the inclusion of Indigenous peoples in research in Australia. Not only as researchers, but also as another way of interpreting the world and gaining knowledge. I would like to find pathways for non-traditional researchers to feel connected to the EMCR community and to create safe spaces for diverse groups in STEM fields to express themselves. Additionally, raising awareness of a range of alternate communication methods available i.e., art, dance and storytelling.
I have numerous hobbies that I seem to cycle between depending on my current mood; my favourite hobbies include crochet, painting, listening to music (my current genres on repeat are K-pop and indie surf rock, think Ocean Alley) and hiking. If I do go hiking, I am usually joined by my Rhodesian Ridgeback, Bane. And when we have a spare weekend we will go camping; I enjoy getting out of reception and listening to the birds.
Research Strategist, South East Water
LinkedIn
Pronouns: He/him
Country: Bunurong Land
My PhD research focused on the development of energy-efficient membrane desalination technology. As we know, current membrane desalination process is very energy intensive. I have developed a more sustainable desalination technology, which can achieve a better balance between energy efficiency and water productivity.
I've lived in Melbourne, Victoria for the past 13 years. Prior to that, I lived in a small town called Delft in the Netherlands for five years. I originally come from China and grew up in a city called Nanjing.
ECR.
As an ECR from industry, I am really passionate about driving the interactions between EMCRs and industry sector. I found many EMCR peers face a similar issue, that they are narrow-minded about career pathways with limited experiences in working with the industry sectors. There is often only focus on traditional research organisation-based career pathways and thus many excellent opportunities from industry sectors are neglected.
Many EMCRs also have an incorrect perception that industry-based research only focuses on commercialisation with a lower risk appetite and short-term horizon. This results in the limited career pathways, less funding opportunities and non-transferrable skills. More importantly, it is difficult to transfer the excellent research outcomes into real community benefits. Hopefully, my involvement with the EMCR Forum will help to improve this and bring different perspectives to the EMCRs.
I really like swimming. It is a good exercise and helps me to leave my chair. More importantly, it is my ‘daydreaming’ time, providing enough quality time to think, I really enjoy! Fun fact about myself: I won a Hula Hoop competition when I was in primary school.
Lecturer at University of Adelaide
@JPAPitt, LinkedIn
Pronouns: He/Him
Country: Kaurna
Developing numerical methods to model tsunamis. Currently, my research is focused on modelling the interaction of ocean waves and sea ice around the poles to improve predictions of the climate.
I live and work on the land of the Kaurna people (Adelaide) and was born and grew up in Meanjin (Brisbane) on the lands of the Yuggera and Turrrbal as well as Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) later on.
ECR.
As a First Nations man, I wanted to join the Executive to advocate and make space for First Nations peoples in STEM, the Academy and the EMCR Forum. This work continues those who came before me, and is especially critical in the Forum as First Nations peoples and minority groups more broadly try to navigate the difficult and uncertain path from a PhD to a stable academic career.
Additionally, while there has been significant interest in First Nations Knowledges, we must ensure that these Knowledges are not simply extracted and that the relevant communities and people are engaged and uplifted.
I also wanted to promote mathematics within the Forum and in turn promote the Forum to Australia’s vibrant mathematical community.
I have always enjoyed water, from an early age building makeshift dams with stones and sticks in storm water canals to researching it now full time. I am still fascinated everyday by its motions and I love spending time in it from being jostled around by ocean waves to cooling down in the river. My main hobbies are gardening and gaming. Gardening is a wonderfully meditative and nurturing activity and gaming is the complete opposite and honestly takes up too much of my time, but I enjoy it all the same.
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