Healing the World - Health science careers for global impact

In this episode of the Shape Your Future education series from ATSE, a panel of experts and researchers discusses the diverse pathways within health sciences. Marking World Health Day, the panel explores how chemistry, materials engineering, and physics converge to solve global health challenges—from developing new medicines to creating advanced cancer treatments.

Host: Professor Michael Kassiou (Medicinal Chemist and ATSE Fellow)

Guests:

• Associate Professor Noushin Nasiri – Material Scientist and Engineer at Macquarie University [12:26]
• Alicja Kaczynksa – PhD Candidate in Medical Physics at the University of Sydney [21:45]

Key Discussion Points

1. Diverse Career Pathways in Health STEM

• Professor Michael Kassiou [07:22]: Shared how a simple love for chemistry led him from studying the living brain in France and the USA to becoming a director of drug discovery, proving that following a specific passion opens global doors.
• Associate Professor Noushin Nasiri [14:13]: Transitioned from a rural farm in Iran to becoming a leading nanotechnology researcher in Australia, emphasizing that engineers are the ones who design the tools medical doctors use.
• Alicja Kaczynksa [23:51]: Originally a physics student with no set career path, Alicia discovered "Medical Physics"—a field applying physics to treat cancer—and now works directly with radiotherapy machines.

2. Overcoming Challenges & Resilience

• The "Year 9" Myth [43:28]: The panelists candidly shared that high school grades aren't always a straight line to success. Alicja and Noushin both noted that grades can dip during stressful years (like Year 11 or 12), but resilience and focus are what matter in the long run.
• Research Setbacks [28:33]: Alicia discussed the reality of scientific research, where experiments may fail for months. She views these challenges as essential for building problem-solving skills and professional resilience.

3. Innovation in Health Technology

• Future Diagnostics [19:06]: Noushin highlighted "science fiction" style tech currently in development, including smart contact lenses that analyze tears and UV sensors designed to prevent skin cancer [20:03].
• Real-time Cancer Treatment [25:40]: Alicja explains her work in tracking tumor movement (caused by breathing or digestion) in real-time to ensure radiation beams hit targets with extreme precision

Notable Quotes

• "Follow what you enjoy doing... STEM is really the foundational sciences that help you understand and solve biological problems." – Professor Michael Kassiou [11:08]
• "The biggest luxury that you could have is to do what you love and you still get paid for it." – Associate Professor Noushin Nasiri [31:07]
• "You don't have to know what you want to do yet, and curiosity is just enough to start." – Alicja Kaczynksa [29:09]

Useful Links

• STELR Program: ATSE’s national STEM education initiative – www.stelr.org.au
• ATSE (Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering): www.atse.org.au
• MedChem Australia: Bridging the gap between research and commercial drug discovery – www.medchemaustralia.org.au

Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve6zzsMbEoQ