What is your role and what does your work focus on?
I’m head of the Gut Hormones in Health and Disease team (the A Martin Gut Lab), and am an ARC DECRA Research Fellow. We focus on how factors such as nutrients and bacteria can impact our physiology, by communicating with hormone-producing cells in the gut. We’re especially interested in studying the functional biology of serotonin-producing cells, and how changes in the biology of these cells can be a potential driver for various diseases such as obesity, diabetes and GI disorders.
Where did you work before joining CMPH?
I’ve been in CMPH since before it was even called CMPH…. I started my undergrad at Flinders in 2008 in Med Science and have been here ever since. Before officially ‘working’ as a PhD student and then as a post-doc, I had a part-time job during my Undergrad and Honours with an interstate chocolate company to give out samples in all the department stores. I made lots of friends with that job. Who doesn’t love free chocolate?!
What journey brought you to this point in your career?
It feels like it’s been a long journey, even though I’m technically still an early-career researcher! I’ve had to work extremely hard, but I’ve always known this is where I wanted to be one day. It’s been a jump from one thing to the next; from undergrad, to honours, to PhD, to postdoc, to lab head, with no ‘disruptions’ or breaks in between. It’s also been a very up-and-down journey, with many challenges to overcome and some very real moments of giving up and becoming a florist, so I’ve had to build up a tonne of resilience along the way. It’s been worth it, though, so far.
What is something you love most about your work?
The flexibility and the people. Science will always be amazing, but I truly love my job for the brilliant team I have now, and those that I have been a part of. I love that our work can span different continents, and that I can spend a month working overseas, travel to conferences and chase new ideas with exciting people. I also love that I can take a stack of papers I’ve been meaning to read and sit down at the beach with a notepad – sometimes my best ideas come when I’m outside the lab and office.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Always, always, always believe in yourself and your abilities, because you can and will do amazing things.
If you had a superpower what would it be?
At first, I think I’d like to have endless amounts of energy, because it’s that time of year when no amount of coffee is enough to get the job done…
But I think the ability to talk to animals would be my top pick. Mainly so I can understand what my dog is saying when she barks at random objects and small children.
How do you like to relax or spend your spare time?
I love going for walks on the beach (I’m an avid shell collector), reading a book or going swimming – I find swimming laps in the pool so cathartic. I’m a certified scuba diver, and I’d like to get back into that a bit more this Summer. I’m also a bit of a Netflix junkie and will happily spend an entire day on the couch playing my PlayStation.
Who is the most famous person you are related to?
Apparently, I’m related to Rodney Fox – the shark guy… I believe he’s my Pa’s cousin. Aside from that, I’d say my mum Kristina is pretty famous around town – you’d certainly remember her once you meet her! 😉 My fur-baby Peaches will one day be #famous on Instagram.