Image: People's Choice 3MT Prize-winner Annie Tan presents on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant and postpartum and maternity care services
The breadth of Burnet research - from geospatial mapping of disease burden among mothers and children in PNG, to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's mental health in Australia - was showcased in a program of outstanding presentations at Burnet Institute's 2021 Student Symposium.
Conducted online for a second successive year, the Symposium featured presentations from 24 Burnet students in all.
Masters and PhD students presented a Three-Minute Thesis (3MT), which requires candidates to explain their research engagingly so it can be understood by an intelligent but non-specialist audience in the space of three minutes.
Honours students presented a 10 minute overview of their work in preparation for their final assessment.
"The quality of the presentations was remarkable," Burnet Student Representative Michael Curtis said, "particularly the honours students, because honours is such a tough year as it is, let alone doing it from home."
A Symposium highlight was Guest Speaker, Victorian Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton who reflected on his educational journey and professional training, the development of his interest in international health and public health, and the challenges of working at the frontline of the COVID-19 response.
The Symposium was sponsored by Capstone Editing and the Monash Graduate Association.
Student Symposium award winners were:
- People's Choice Honours Prize: Claudia Barnes (Understanding how the inhibition of sodium efflux reduces red blood cell egress and invasion by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum)
- People's Choice Three Minute Thesis Prize: Annie Tan (Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant and postpartum and maternity care services)
- Best Honours Presentation: Caitlin Ramsay (Menstrual choices among young Australians)
- Best Three Minute Thesis: Bridget Draper (How to provide hepatitis C services in resource-constrained settings: working towards elimination)
- Best Three Minute Thesis: Michael Curtis (COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among people who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia)
