Hear from some of our Health and Biomedical alumni and their interesting career journeys.

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Penelope Strauss, (MPH ’16)

Penelope works as a Research Fellow in Youth Suicide Prevention at the Telethon Kids Institute, and is firmly entrenched in a rewarding career.

“I am passionate about the research I do, I hope that I am able to continue building on the research that I am doing in youth suicide prevention for the rest of my career. Youth suicide is a huge issue in Australia and there is a need for robust research to determine how the high rates of youth suicide can be reduced.
While at UWA, I met so many amazing like-minded students during my master’s degree. I also felt that all of the teachers were so knowledgeable and approachable, and I felt so supported by the School of Population and Global Health throughout my MPH.
(For those considering studying the MPH) Think about what drives you and what you are passionate about. I believe that the MPH gives you a lot of valuable insight and would be beneficial for any health-related job role. It’s important to keep trying to achieve the career you want – persistence pays off, and reach out to your networks for support.”

Learn about the Master of Public Health at UWA.

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Ashleigh Small, (MSW ’19)

Since graduating with a masters’ degree in social work, Ashleigh was a Young Australian of the Year 2021 nominee and is the founder of Hello Initiative (HI), an organisation addressing access and equity challenges facing young people in the criminal justice system.

“Social work holds such broad opportunities for your future career, and equips you with the ‘soft skills’ that are becoming increasingly critical in modern workplaces, like person-centred practice and professional empathy.
If you care about your community and want to tackle ‘wicked problems’ (i.e. social or cultural problems so complex they seem impossible to solve), social work can take you there. As soon as I started the Master of Social Work course at UWA, I realised I had made a great choice and that the empathetic and context-driven model of work in social work would give me a great platform from which to drive social impact."

If you’re interested in where social work can take you, explore the Master of Social Work course at UWA.

Master of Infectious Diseases (MID)

Tara Seth, (MInfDis ’12)

Since graduating from the Master of Infectious Diseases (MID) course, Tara has worked with St John's Research Institute, Narayana Health and recently at healthi (Svasth Life Pvt Ltd) as Associate Director - Head of Client Services.

“My area of interest has always been in the field of healthcare and wellness. I must have been about six years old when I asked my Mum, "What is a disease? Why do people fall sick?" 
Fast forward to about 17 years later when I completed my MID at UWA, I returned to India with the aim of empowering every individual with the tools and support they need to better understand & manage their health.
(The MID) was a perfect blend of lecture sessions, laboratory tutorials and open forum discussions with fellow students. As an international student, I also learnt how to navigate a realm outside of my comfort zone. This gave me that extra boost of confidence and sensibility which helped me appreciate and understand people, expectations and responsibilities. This kind of learning sets the groundwork that prepares you for the workforce, in turn moulding you into a citizen of the world.
UWA also offered the perfect environment to connect and network with students across the globe. I know that I stepped out of University with the confidence of a more capable adult, a smarter and more mature individual.”

Learn more about the Master of Infectious Diseases at UWA.

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)

Hassan Karim, (DPM ’16)

Hassan completed the post graduate Doctor of Podiatric Medicine at UWA in 2016. This was following a four year Bachelor of Biomedical Science majoring in Physiology, Biochemistry and Genetics. Hassan currently works for Peak Podiatry and loves his work. Working as a sports podiatrist, he gets to see a variety of cases every day.

“I came to UWA because of a high school trip and just fell in love with the campus. I initially graduated from a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2013 at UWA and followed that with the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) at UWA – the only place that offers podiatric medicine in WA. The DPM was enjoyable for many reasons. Most importantly, there was a decent amount of clinical exposure that started as early as first semester. This exposure was great and many of the staff went the extra mile to help you.”

Find out more about the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine.