I completed my undergraduate studies at Curtin University, obtaining a Bachelor of Advanced Science and Honours degree in Chemistry. As part of my degree, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of research projects, where I specialised in the fields of organometallic synthesis and forensic chemistry. My honours thesis combined these two themes, focusing on the development of luminescent lanthanoid β-triketonate assemblies for fingermark dusting applications. Outside of my studies, I have been involved in both industry and government studentship programs and worked as a laboratory demonstrator for the Curtin School of Molecular and Life Sciences.
Chemistry is a fascinating discipline to explore – it underpins nearly every aspect of our daily lives without us even realising. Doing a PhD that bridges chemistry and medical research is something I am very passionate about. My key motivator for doing a PhD was to diversify my skillset and gain a deeper understanding of research beyond academia. I wanted to engage in a project that had a strong collaboration with industry, as I am motivated by research that can lead to innovation with real-world application. This is what led me to join the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Next-Gen Technologies in Biomedical Analysis. The centre offers me a platform to engage with both academia and industry, whilst developing the skills essential to apply my chemistry background to a biomedical application.
As part of my PhD, I will be collaborating with VitalTrace on the development of a biosensor for the monitoring of intrapartum foetal wellbeing. During labour and delivery, a lack of oxygen to the placenta can lead to perinatal asphyxia. When this occurs, the baby is deprived of oxygen, entering a hypoxic state that risks damage to the foetal brain, neurological system, and other vital organs. Current methods to monitor for foetal asphyxia are highly subjective, invasive, or time intensive. Consequentially, many families are unnecessarily subjected to the medical, psychological, and financial burden of an emergency caesarean sections, due to fallacious indications of foetal distress. Alternatively, foetal lactate concentration is a biomarker that can be used to monitor for a hypoxic state, with elevated lactate
levels an actionable metric for healthcare professionals. The ability to continuously and accurately monitor intrapartum lactate levels in real-time would, therefore, equip obstetricians with the metrics required to make evidence-based decisions on foetal status.
I hope that my research will contribute to the development of a commercial device that can improve outcomes for mothers and their baby during childbirth. The development of a continuous lactate biosensor will provide obstetricians with a real-time indication of foetal wellbeing, minimising unnecessary medical, psychological, and financial burdens associated with precautionary emergency caesarean section.
I believe that diverse expertise and resources offered by the centre will play a valuable role in enabling me to reach the goals of my research.
