Honours Students Shine at End-of-Year Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) Conference
In November, we hosted our end-of-year Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) conference, bringing together 51 medical students who had intercalated their medical degree to undertake the Honours year, examiners, supervisors, and special guests for two days of inspiring research presentations and academic celebration. Students showcased the culmination of their Honours year through rapid-fire oral presentations and detailed scientific posters; major assessment pieces that highlighted their dedication, curiosity, and perseverance.
This conference is always a standout event. It’s wonderful to see students present their work with such confidence and enthusiasm, reflecting the depth and diversity of research undertaken across discovery science, clinical medicine, public health, ethics, and emerging technologies. The conference experience is incredibly valuable for students. It offers an opportunity not only to recognise the students’ academic achievements but also to celebrate their achievements and the supportive research community around them. We were also delighted to welcome Professor Michelle Leech, Head of the Monash Medical Course, and Associate Professor Julia Harrison, Deputy Head of the Monash Medicine Course, who joined us to hear from the students and congratulate them on their efforts.
Held across 28 and 29 October, the conference allows students to share their findings in both oral and poster formats. Throughout the program, attendees were treated to an impressive array of research topics that demonstrated the breadth of inquiry within the Honours cohort. Presentations explored cutting-edge areas such as proteomic targets for new paediatric cancer therapies; electrophysiological biomarkers for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy; AI-powered tools for pre-eclampsia detection and glaucoma progression; immunotherapy safety and tumour immunomodulators; neonatal antimicrobial resistance; and the use of human amnion epithelial cells to understand lung injury in preterm infants.
Other students investigated key clinical and public health issues, including early warning scores in paediatric emergency departments, chronic plaque psoriasis treatments, preterm infant outcomes, cardiometabolic disease prediction, child development assessment using home videos, and population-level impacts of socioeconomic status on paediatric cardiac arrest outcomes. Several projects examined the intersection of health and ethics; ranging from virtue ethics in gender-affirming care, to responsibility for AI-related surgical harms, to ethical questions surrounding reproductive carrier screening and end-of-life care. The breadth of research highlights the exceptional talent and intellectual curiosity within this year’s Honours cohort.
We congratulate all Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) students for their outstanding presentations and the exceptional quality of their research. Their passion and professionalism shone throughout the conference, and we look forward to seeing the meaningful impact they will continue to make in health and medical science.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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