PhD student, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer division

Ashley chose WEHI because of its strong international reputation, collaborative approach to research and state-of-the-art facilities.

Why did you choose WEHI for your PhD?

I chose WEHI because of its strong international reputation, collaborative approach to research and state-of-the-art facilities. I wanted exposure to a wide range of research techniques, to ensure that I was able to gain as many skills as possible. Also, the support and resources available at WEHI is unparalleled, which made it an easy choice.

What’s your PhD research about?

My PhD research aims to identify new treatments for ovarian cancer, and is supervised by Dr Nadia Davison, Professor Melissa Davis and Professor Susan Ramus at UNSW. Ovarian cancer is characterised by poor patient outcomes, largely due to limited treatment options. Designing new drugs is a time-consuming, expensive and risky process. I plan to improve treatment by repurposing existing drugs that were not necessarily designed to treat this disease.

What are you passionate about?

I am extremely passionate about science that is not only reproducible, but translational. By the end of my project, I hope to have identified and experimentally validated several new therapies to treat different subsets of ovarian cancer. What I find really motivating is that my work has the potential to positively impact the broader community.

There are so many experts working at WEHI, and so help is never hard to find.

What does a typical working day involve?

It always starts with coffee. My work is computational, so most days are spent processing and investigating large datasets and developing analysis pipelines. It is much more creative than it sounds, and I really love the flexibility that computer-based research offers.

How has WEHI supported your studies?

The community at WEHI is extremely supportive and collaborative. Working with other researchers has been a great advantage, not to mention having access to WEHI’s amazing facilities It really is an outstanding learning environment; there are so many experts working at WEHI, and so help is never hard to find.

What did you do before starting your post-graduate studies?

I completed a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Hons) with a major in pathology at UNSW Sydney in 2019. I was accepted into three internship programs that allowed me to gain fundamental skills in molecular biology, microscopy and chemistry. Through statistical and computational analysis my honours project focussed on using protein expression to predict patient outcome in ovarian cancer. I was offered a position as a research assistant under the supervision of the legendary Associate Professor James Vince at WEHI. Working in the Vince lab allowed me to learn a range of research techniques and ultimately, gave me the confidence to pursue postgraduate study.

Do you have plans for what you’d like to do after your PhD?

It is a privilege to contribute to medical research; I hope to continue my career in research after my PhD.