Medal and course winners
These medals and prizes are awarded to the overall top performing student from each course.
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These medals and prizes are awarded to the overall top performing student from each course.
This medal recognises the student who has achieved the highest score across all units of their pharmacy degree. The Pharmacy Gold Medal winner also receives the Neil Naismith Award. These awards are proudly supported by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Victorian Branch), the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Therapeutic Guidelines Limited.
Jessalyn Tan is currently a Pharmacy Intern at Eastern Health. Throughout this year, Jessalyn has had the privilege of gaining exposure to all aspects of hospital pharmacy. In particular, Jessalyn has enjoyed her rotations in General Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery, and is looking forward to her upcoming rotations in the Neurology and Cardiology units. She has also enjoyed working with encouraging and knowledgeable pharmacists, inspiring her to continue to be diligent towards her goals and studies.
Jessalyn is driven and committed to making a positive impact in her career in pharmacy. She has found that her contributions to patient healthcare have been most valuable when she attends ward rounds and has meaningful interactions with patients and their families. Jessalyn is excited about her future career prospects in pharmacy, with the dynamic expansion of pharmacy services in the hospital and community.
"Thank you to my family and friends for supporting me throughout my studies and growth as a young adult."
This medal recognises the student who has achieved the highest score across all units of their pharmaceutical science degree. This award is proudly supported by the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Mengjia (Afra) Yu is an international student from China, with a passion for biology, chemistry. Her fascination with molecular structures, chemical reaction mechanisms and better treatment solutions for patients led her to pursue Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University, where she acquired hands-on skills and deepened her understanding of the subject.
During her undergraduate years, Afra demonstrated enthusiasm for the field of medicinal chemistry and participated in a research placement project focusing on synthesising carbonucleosides.
Now pursuing Honours in the Medicinal Chemistry department at MIPS under the guidance of Professor Bernard Flynn, Afra is immersed in cutting-edge research aimed at exploring synthesising schemes for natural product-like molecules. This project aligns with Afra's aspirations to contribute meaningfully to the development of therapeutic drug candidates with improved efficacy and success rates.
Grounded in persistence, perseverance, and the belief that good things will come at the right time, Afra remains steadfast in her pursuit of excellence. She envisions leveraging her passion and abilities to advance healthcare and enhance the well-being of individuals worldwide through the synthesis of promising drug candidates.
"In chemistry, more often than not, reactions should work but doesn’t. It's important not to be dismayed by setbacks but to learn from mistakes and turn them into valuable knowledge."
This prize is awarded to the pharmaceutical sciences student with the highest honours mark. This award is proudly supported by Shimadzu and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Throughout her undergraduate studies, Zengke has developed a keen interest in nanoparticle systems for biologics delivery and was fascinated by the cutting-edge research conducted at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS). This fascination led her to start her honours research journey in the Johnston Lab group.
Her honours project focused on probing the pH of endo/lysosomes upon adeno-associated virus (AAV) endocytosis. AAVs are attractive vehicles for in vivo gene delivery. Zengke’s honours research aimed to identify the mechanism of acidification of the endocytic vesicles containing AAVs, as acidification is essential for releasing AAVs from the endocytic vesicles into the cytosol. This research aimed to inform possible approaches for improving gene delivery by AAVs.
Zengke is currently undertaking her PhD under the supervision of Dr. Jie Tang and Associate Professor Natalie Trevaskis. In her PhD, Zengke will investigate silica nanoparticles as an oral vaccine delivery platform, hoping to characterise the interactions between silica nanoparticles and the biological system and develop a silica nanoparticle-based oral vaccine.
"Don’t underestimate your own potential. I am grateful for the Honours program, which gives me the opportunity to see my growth both in technical knowledge and mental strength."
This prize is awarded to the pharmaceutical sciences student with the highest honours mark. This award is proudly supported by Shimadzu and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Emilee Molcik recently completed the Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science with Honours at Monash University, and is currently working as a research assistant and teaching associate for the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Education theme.
Throughout the Pharmaceutical Science course, Emilee became equipped with the knowledge and skills integral to pharmaceutical product design, development, and formulation. Her Honours research project in the Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Education theme drew upon her strong interest in and deepened her curiosity about both practical pharmaceutical science concepts and students’ complex learning experiences. Through this research project, Emilee’s data analysis and problem-solving abilities were developed, which now enable her to make meaningful contributions to her research assistant role at Monash.
In the future, Emilee aims to continue developing stronger research knowledge and skills in the Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science Education research theme, and to contribute to the various stages of pharmaceutical development in industry.
"I am very grateful for the amazing learning environment I have experienced at Monash, and express my deep gratitude to my kind and supportive educators, family, friends, and colleagues for their help and guidance."
This prize is awarded to the pharmaceutical sciences student with the highest honours mark. This award is proudly supported by Shimadzu and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Hannah completed her Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science Advanced at Monash University. After completing honours in medicinal chemistry, Hannah was awarded the Cyril Tonkin Scholarship. She has since commenced her PhD candidature, continuing in medicinal chemistry research with the Priebbenow Group. Her research currently looks at the development of new organometallic reagents for asymmetric nitrene transfer catalysis, with the aim of using these chemical methodologies to advance discoveries in catalysis, materials, and pharmaceutical chemistry.
"I would like to thank the Priebbenow group for their ongoing guidance and support, having made my honours year both an extremely valuable and enjoyable experience. I am very much looking forward to developing my skills and knowledge further during my PhD at Monash."
This prize is awarded to the pharmaceutical sciences student with the highest honours mark. This award is proudly supported by Shimadzu and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Laura (Yifan) Wen completed her Honours degree in Nicolazzo lab (D4) where she investigated the interaction between fatty acid binding protein 4 and DHA in the context of neuroinflammatory disorders. Her background in Pharmaceutical Sciences and knowledge in neurological disorders has propelled her to further her studies in a PhD degree at the WEHI, where she will explore the therapeutic potential of BH3 mimetics in pediatric brain cancer.
Outside of academic work, Laura also developed a passion for teaching through sharing her experiences and connecting with first year students as the PASS leader for Medicinal Chemistry from 2020 to 2023, as well as a facilitator with English Connect. She is keen to further develop her skills as a medical researcher in the coming years, and looks forward to a career integrating both teaching and research.
"Honours has been a challenging yet incredible journey that allowed me to grow as an independent researcher. The experiences and connections built are invaluable. and I am grateful for those that supported me along the way."
This prize recognises outstanding performance in the Monash Intern Training Program. This award is proudly supported by Pharmaceutical Defence Limited (PDL).
Amanda Viera has always been passionate about pursuing a career in pharmacy to promote patient-centred care. She completed the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) - Scholars Program/Master of Pharmacy whilst working as a student pharmacist in both hospital and community pharmacies.
Amanda completed her internship with Alfred Health, undertaking both the Monash Intern Training Program (ITP) and Intern Foundation Program (IFP). Working at the Alfred Hospital provided a unique environment to apply her clinical knowledge learnt throughout the degree to complex patients in a broad range of clinical areas and to work as part of an experienced multidisciplinary team. Amanda has been able to learn from many specialised pharmacists and experience the integral role of pharmacists in promoting the safe and effective use of medicines.
Since completing her internship, Amanda has continued working as a clinical pharmacist at the Alfred in the areas of renal and rheumatology. She has also recently commenced the SHPA foundation residency program to continue expanding her clinical pharmacy skills and gain experience in broader areas of pharmacy including research, education and leadership. In particular, Amanda hopes to share her experiences through the supervision and mentoring of pharmacy students and interns.
“Studying pharmacy has given me the opportunity to play a unique role in the healthcare team and I am excited to continue learning and expanding my skill set throughout my career. I would like to thank my family, friends, colleagues, and teachers for their support throughout my pharmacy degree and internship.”
This prize recognises the student with the highest marks across all units of the Master of Clinical Pharmacy. This award is proudly supported by Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
Angela Wright is a senior hospital pharmacist at Queensland Health, working in antimicrobial stewardship. Throughout her career she has become especially interested in infectious diseases and medication safety. She commenced her career in community pharmacy in regional Queensland with her internship in 2010, then shifted into hospital pharmacy in 2017. A desire for further clinical knowledge and skills led to the commencement of postgraduate studies.
Angela completed her Master of Clinical Pharmacy at Monash University in 2023. She undertook a longitudinal data-linkage research project as part of the course, evaluating antibiotic prescribing trends in diabetic foot infections. She has also published an overview of systematic reviews to summarise the evidence available for antibiotic treatment regimens for this indication.
Since completing her degree, Angela plans to focus on expansion of evidence-based practice and research capabilities within her health service, and digital innovation for antimicrobials with an interest in antibiotic allergies.
"The critical evaluation and research skills attained throughout the Master's have been invaluable in developing my practice and career satisfaction. I am honoured to receive this award and would like to thank my lecturers, supervisors, and mentors for their contribution to this achievement."
This prize recognises the student with the highest marks across all units of the Master of Pharmaceutical Science. This award is proudly supported by Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Chloe is a recent graduate from the Master of Pharmaceutical Science. During her study at Monash, Chloe was introduced to different stages in the drug discovery and development pipeline and found her interest in the early drug discovery. To extend her learning in medicinal chemistry, she completed a placement training at the Jörg Group at MIPS working on PROTAC probes.
Chloe is currently undertaking her PhD under the supervision of Dr Manuela Jörg and Associate Professor Karen Gregory at Monash University. Her research focuses on the design, synthesis and evaluation of multifunctional chemical probes for adenosine receptors. The work in her research can be useful tools in live-cell images to advance our understanding of the dynamics of adenosine receptors and their involvement in various human diseases, providing insights for drug discovery.
"The Master of Pharmaceutical Science helped me gain hands-on laboratory experience. This provided me with opportunities to interact with and learn from research experts, and prepare me for my future career in pharmaceutical science."