Yvonne Zhang
Dr Yvonne Zhang
Master of Clinical Research (Translational Research)
The Translational Research stream has given me exactly what I need to follow my dream of helping end diabetes. Being able to conduct my own project in the diabetes space was an inspiration, and I like the 'bench to bedside' philosophy taken. My supervisor was incredibly flexible, helping me schedule experiments so I could also work to support myself.
Watching her father deal with a growing litany of complications from diabetes has been a constant source of motivation and inspiration for Dr Yvonne Zhang, who has recently completed her Master of Clinical Research with us. The Filipino medical doctor has a close relationship with her family, and what she’s seen has made her want to help stop diabetes in its tracks, rather than simply treating symptoms.
“My first undergraduate degree was actually in public health, back in Iloilo, a small province in the Philippines,” she explains. “I wanted to get into research, but at the time I thought the pathway to that was through medical school. It was a bit of a surprise to me that research wasn’t really a big focus during my studies nor were there facilities for it in the country, but of course, you learn so many other things through medical training.”
After graduating as a medical doctor, she focussed on GP and Pathology training in various clinics and hospitals, given both were aligned with her desire to help people with diabetes. She also lectured at the University of the Philippines and West Visayas State University, teaching public health and biology units.
“I was busy and enjoying myself, but I still felt this urge to get involved in research and contribute to the medical field in a bigger way, and be part of the solution to prevent or even cure diabetes.”
That was when she came across our Master of Clinical Research. The course had only recently begun to offer two specialisations: Clinical Research, and Translational Research. While sharing many core units, the two streams offer a more tailored experience for students wishing to learn the ropes of commercialisation, and shepherding their discoveries through to practical solutions for real-world use.
“I wasn’t super clear at the start as to which stream would suit me best, but the ‘bench to bedside’ focus of the Translational Research stream really resonated with me, and so that’s what I selected.”
The move to Melbourne was initially challenging, although it wasn’t her first time here. “My Dad worked here as an electrical transformer consultant when I was a teenager, and so I visited a couple of times back then, and really liked the city. Finding a house and job to support myself was pretty daunting, but I got there, and now I feel really settled.”
Yvonne studied full time but needed to support herself with part-time work. An honest and open chat with her supervisor led to a perfect solution.
“I was really happy to find a project in the diabetes space, under Dr Phillip Kantharidis in the Department of Diabetes. He was great, he understood my needs and worked with me along the way to schedule my experiments and lab time for the days that suited me, which I greatly appreciated. A lot of the bioinformatics work I could do from home as well.”
She supported herself working as an ethics coordinator at the Monash Children’s Hospital, where she reviewed study protocols and Patient Information and Consent Forms (PICFs) for phase III and IV trials, mostly submitted by pharmaceutical companies. The work neatly complemented her study.
In her first year of study, she learned core knowledge around the research process, including skills like biostatistics, ethics, and epidemiology.
Yvonne’s research project looked at diabetic associated atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death in people with diabetes. She took her lead from her supervisor’s own work investigating lipoxins, which are specialised pro-resolving mediators that limit inflammation and have the potential to prevent or relieve diabetic complications. “Again, my supervisor and colleagues really guided me through the whole process, from conducting the initial literature review, finding a gap in the knowledge, framing my question, designing and conducting my experiments, and then analysing and writing up my findings. It’s been a great experience.”
With graduation on the horizon, Yvonne is keen to do more in the diabetes space. “I’ve found it so rewarding, I’m applying to do my PhD within the same research group.”