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Graduate Research Awards

The Faculty of Science Graduate Research Awards category recognises excellence in postgraduate research, supervision, and community contribution.

Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision View

Outstanding Contributions by a GR Student to the Faculty/School Community View

The award celebrates outstanding contribution(s) to the life of the Faculty of Science/School community, by individuals or teams of graduate research students within the Faculty of Science, that are above and beyond their own research and the expectations of a postgraduate student.

The winner(s) and nominees are:

Storme de Scally and Christopher Blake, PhD candidates in the McDonald Lab, have made outstanding contributions to outreach in the School of Biological Sciences. They’ve engaged over 600 high-school students through workshops and supervised week-long lab experiences. Recently, they designed and launched a hands-on outreach activity based on their research, now being delivered to schools. Their initiative strengthens connections between the School’s research and future scientists. Storme and Christopher’s dedication, creativity, and leadership have significantly enriched faculty outreach efforts, making them exemplary ambassadors for science education and engagement.
Kulihong and Pan have served as MUPA School of Science Representatives since 2024, creating a supportive environment for graduate research students. Kulihong leads event coordination and logistics, while Pan brings creativity—designing faculty merchandise and a student resource website. Together, they’ve engaged students through Movie Night, Cake Decorating, and staff-student ice-breakers, and launched new initiatives like Board Game Night and Science Trivia Challenge. They actively represent student voices in Student-Staff Liaison Committee meetings. This year, they’re core organisers of the Monash Science Symposium 2025, showcasing postgraduate research and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across the faculty.

Norris Family Award for Outstanding Author Contribution by a GR Student View

The Norris Family Award for Outstanding Author Contribution by a Graduate Research Student to a Published ‘Quality’ Scholarly Research Output recognises an outstanding contribution by a graduate research student to the authorship of a quality scholarly research output (ie. book, book chapter, journal article, conference proceeding).

The winner(s) and nominees are:

Orion is a PhD candidate in mathematics whose research connects spinors from physics with geometric theory. His co-authored paper, 'Spinors and the Descartes Circle Theorem' (Journal of Geometry and Physics), generalises a 380-year-old result in circle packing theory using ideas from relativity. This breakthrough has attracted significant media attention and advanced the field of mathematical geometry. Orion’s work exemplifies deep interdisciplinary thinking and contributes meaningfully to both theoretical physics and pure mathematics.
Saliha is a PhD candidate developing sustainable phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage. She is first author of a Nature paper (‘Trimodal thermal energy storage material for renewable energy applications’) introducing the world’s first trimodal PCM, combining latent, sensible, and thermochemical heat storage. Originating the idea and leading the research, she demonstrated high energy density, stability, and low cost. Her breakthrough advances scalable Carnot battery systems and sustainable energy solutions, showcasing outstanding authorship, creativity, and leadership in addressing global energy challenges.
Chris, a final-year PhD candidate at Monash University, studies microbial community evolution and its impact on ecosystem stability—an underexplored area in ecology. He developed a novel experimental system combining microbial evolution, genomics, and modelling, evolving communities over 4000 generations. His work, ‘Evolutionary shift of a tipping point can precipitate, or forestall, collapse in a microbial community’ (Nature Ecology & Evolution), revealed that ecosystem tipping points can evolve, challenging long-held assumptions. Chris began this research at Kiel University and has earned awards from the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution and the Joint Evolution Meeting for his groundbreaking contributions.
Jessica is a climate scientist and PhD candidate with the ARC initiative, Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future. Her research on the Antarctic Ice Sheet, a major driver of sea level rise, earned media attention and highlighted her strong problem-solving and quantitative skills. Published in Geophysical Research Letters (‘Distinct Central and Eastern Pacific El Niño Influence on Antarctic Surface Mass Balance’), Jessica led the work independently, with minimal input from coauthors. With a first-class Master’s from Cardiff and UK government experience, she excels in public engagement and scientific communication, making her a standout nominee for this award.
Tasmia, a PhD candidate at Monash University Malaysia, made a high-impact contribution with her first-author publication, ‘Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – An analysis of the ASD interventions utilised in Bangladesh’ (Research in Developmental Disabilities). From initiating the Honours research to leading methodology, data analysis, and manuscript preparation, she demonstrated exceptional independence and expertise. A certified behaviour therapist with credentials from APA, Harvard, and others, she bridges clinical and academic domains. Her cross-border collaborations and media exposure highlight her commitment to socially impactful research, making her an ideal nominee for the Norris Family Award.

Award for Research Impact by a Graduate Research Student View

This award recognises research by a graduate research student that is creating real-world impact in sectors and society beyond academia.

The winner(s) and nominees are:

Saliha, a PhD candidate in the School of Chemistry, developed a novel, low-cost material for thermal energy storage, supporting clean energy technologies. Her work led to a patent and a 2024 Nature publication, now advancing toward commercialisation via a spin-out company. Saliha initiated the research, led experiments and analysis, and authored the manuscript. She also engaged with industry through CSIRO ON Prime and Monash Validator. Her Research Impact Award nomination reflects the real-world environmental and economic value of her innovation.
Peter has always been passionate about ornithology, especially seabirds. In 2019, he earned first-class Honours and the University Medal at the University of Tasmania for research on environmental change and seabirds. Since then, he’s contributed to wildlife research and management across Australia and its territories. His PhD project addresses a critical gap in seabird conservation, with outcomes exceeding expectations. Peter applied for the Research Impact Award to support ongoing efforts protecting Melanesian seabirds through practical, real-world solutions.
Clare is a final-year PhD candidate researching the effectiveness of privately protected areas for woodland bird conservation. Passionate about practical impact, Clare has worked closely with groups like the Biodiversity Conservation Trust and BirdLife Australia, conducting bird surveys and engaging with landowners across NSW. Through meaningful collaboration, Clare has helped answer stakeholder questions and deliver actionable conservation outcomes. Their research ensures real-world benefits for woodland birds and reflects a strong commitment to bridging science with on-ground management.
Jake is a PhD candidate at Monash University and Museums Victoria, researching Cretaceous carnivorous dinosaurs in Australia. He combines global fossil discoveries with advanced technologies to revise the fossil record. Jake has led fieldwork across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland, publishing on Australia’s first dinosaur tooth and skull bone. His outreach work with Museums Victoria and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum highlights his passion for science communication. A recent publication on one of Australia’s largest carnivorous dinosaurs is a standout achievement.
Shi Cheng was the top graduate in the Bachelor of Food Science and Technology program at Monash University Malaysia in 2021, also awarded Best Graduate by MIFT. In 2022, Shi Cheng began a PhD developing low-cost, nutrient-rich plant-based milk from palm kernel. He has published three first-author papers and won multiple awards, including Gold at ITEX 2024 and NFSTC 2025. As NFSTC champion, Shi Ceng will represent Malaysia at the ASEAN Food Conference 2025, showcasing impactful research in sustainable food innovation.

Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal and VC's Commendation for Thesis Excellence View

The Mollie Holman Medal was established in 1998 and is named after the late pioneering physiologist, Emeritus Professor Mollie Holman AO, in honour of her significant contributions to science and education. Each year, a maximum of 10 medals are awarded to doctoral students, who have fulfilled their degree requirements and presented their faculty’s best thesis of the year.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Thesis Excellence was established to recognise and reward outstanding doctoral and research master’s thesis excellence. Each year, a maximum of five commendations are awarded to doctoral and/or research masters students, who have fulfilled their degree requirements and presented as outstanding contributors to research by their faculty.

All students nominated for the Mollie Holman Medal are also nominated for the Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Thesis Excellence.

The winner(s) and nominees are:

Thesis title: Exploring sparse and hereditary graph classes via products and tree-decompositions
Robert completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor David Wood. Robert's PhD thesis develops novel techniques to understand the structure of graphs in both the sparse and dense regimes. These techniques allow one to decompose complex graphs into simpler parts. His work advances our understanding of the global structure of graphs.
Thesis title: Metazoan reproduction: knowledge gaps and syntheses
Sam completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor Dustin Marshall. His thesis re-examined several classic perspectives of reproductive biology in order to find insights into the role of reproduction in life-history evolution. Sam found that we have an incomplete understanding of metazoan reproduction. He also developed a framework that quantifies a reproductive energy pathway that changes the calculus of animal life-histories.
Thesis title: Vibrational spectroscopic approaches for disease and metabolic diagnosis
Thulya completed her joint PhD with Monash University and the University of Bath under the supervision of Dr Bayden Wood. She has made significant contributions to the field of diagnostics through her interdisciplinary research, which seamlessly integrates microfluidics, spectroscopy, and machine learning. Her work focuses on developing innovative diagnostic tests for blood- and waterborne pathogens, particularly targeting malaria parasites and bacteria. To date, she has published five papers as the first author and seven as a co-author, demonstrating her ability to lead impactful research initiatives.
Thesis title: Aspects of particle cosmology through the lens of gravitational waves
Matthew completed his PhD under Professor Csaba Balazs, exploring how gravitational waves can reveal the early universe and uncover high-energy phenomena beyond Earth’s reach. His thesis shows how new forces and particles may leave detectable imprints in gravitational wave signals. As one of the first in the field, Matthew presents testable predictions for the Pati-Salam Grand Unified Model using data from LIGO. His work offers a deeper understanding of nature and opens new directions in theoretical physics.
Thesis title: Surface melt on East Antarctic ice shelves
Dominic completed his PhD under Professor Andrew Mackintosh, advancing understanding of surface melt on Antarctic ice shelves. His research revealed distinct melt types on the Shackleton Ice Shelf and linked East Antarctic surface melt to atmospheric circulation, especially the Southern Annular Mode. He also showed that melt drivers vary by location—a novel insight. Dominic’s work spans local to hemispheric scales and includes analysis of extreme melt events, offering critical knowledge for predicting ice shelf stability and sea-level rise.
Thesis title: Insights into RNA modification and gene expression patterns of Acinetobacter baumannii during infection in Galleria mellonella
Kah Ern completed her PhD under Dr Patrick Tan Hock Siew, focusing on Acinetobacter baumannii, a pathogen known for antibiotic resistance. Her research investigated the bacterium’s virulence by analyzing gene expression and RNA modifications, using an insect infection model. These insights enhance understanding of how the bacterium causes disease and may support future therapeutic development to combat this growing health threat.
Thesis title: The development of plant-based burgers using Moringa oleifera protein isolates
Shi Ern completed her Masters under the supervision of Professor Siow Lee Fong. Shi Ern’s research explores how Moringa oleifera seeds can make plant-based burgers better for both the consumer and the environment. The effects of soaking duration and temperature on the tannin content were investigated, along with the potential allergenicity and toxicity of M. oleifera protein isolates (MPI).

Nominated for VC's Commendation of Thesis Excellence only.