General Health PhD Scholarships

As an emerging researcher with lived experience, Flynn has a strong commitment to improving mental-health outcomes for neurodiverse children. She is commencing a PhD research project at Macquarie University, supported by an Australian Rotary Health scholarship.

Her research focuses on promoting school belonging, wellbeing, and self-advocacy among primary-aged children with ADHD through co-designed, student-centred interventions. Her passion for this work is shaped by both academic interest and personal experience. As a mother of three children with ADHD, she has seen firsthand the transformative impact of early intervention, inclusive teaching practices, and strong home–school partnerships.

Liesel Hool is planning to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales to commence in June 2026 and has recently been awarded the following Australian Rotary Health PhD Scholarship to examine the lived experiences of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Groups (CALD) in Australia.

I am an early career researcher with a passion for improving outcomes in bowel cancer patients. As a child I have always had an inquisitive personality, always asking adults how things worked and more importantly ‘why’ they do. Developing into my adulthood, this curious nature has now propelled me into a career in academia. The pursuit of knowledge, the scientific method and the ability to deeply interrogate things have become the forefront of my character. Currently my focus lies in understanding the interactions of the immune system with bowel cancer in hopes of developing lasting treatment.

Ivan Nugraha (he/him) is a PhD candidate at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, where he is studying the intersection of language-literacy and suicide among young people in Tasmania. Ivan holds a Bachelor of Medicine and a Doctor of Medicine from Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia, and a Master of Science in Global Mental Health with a Specialism in Health Promotion from the University of Glasgow, UK. Ivan was awarded the Dr. Liz Campbell Memorial Prize for achieving the highest overall grade for his coursework and dissertation, a meta-ethnographic study titled Suicide and Self-Harm: Identity Validation among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth.

Hanna is a PhD candidate in Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, focusing on understanding lifestyle correlates of cognitive function in bipolar disorder. She earned a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Neuroscience from the University of Otago, New Zealand, in 2021, where she received the Leaders of Tomorrow Entrance Scholarship with high distinction in 2018 and a Summer Research Scholarship in 2020.

Farjana I Aovi is a PhD candidate at the Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), Western Sydney University, specialising in population health and epidemiology. She has an academic background in Pharmacy and Public Health and prior experience as a university lecturer and researcher, with expertise in medication safety, maternal health, and child development.

I am a young person with lived experience of psychosis and other mental health challenges. It is these experiences that have lead me to work and advocate in the mental health space. I have volunteered for batyr as part of their University of Technology Sydney chapter, have been a youth ambassador for ReachOut and have been on both the national Youth Research Council and Youth Advisory Council for Orygen.

Joanna received her B. Med Sci in Medicinal Chemistry in 2021 at Western Sydney University. She then completed a B. Sci (Honours) under the supervision of Professor Margaret Sunde at the University of Sydney, developing methods for producing and studying proteins involved in human degenerative diseases. Joanna was awarded the degree with First Class and named on the Dean’s List of Academic Excellence.

Alysa Bachmann, who earned her Bachelor of Psychological Science with First Class Honours from CQUniversity in 2020, is a passionate advocate for mental health. Her professional journey as a Provisional Psychologist involved conducting assessments for children as well as supporting individuals living with psychosocial disabilities. These experiences have contributed to her interest in researching mental health challenges.

Sandra Sursock is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne. She completed a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science Advanced (Honours) Degree in 2021 at Monash University. Following her studies, she worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in the department of Radiation Oncology. Sandra is also currently working as a Project Officer in the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Melbourne.