By Saya Takii

Genes are made up of DNA, composed of two chains forming a double helix. They carry important information for every individual or the coding of our development, growth, functioning and reproduction.

By 2030 I’d like to be….  working in the field of Biochemistry specifically in genetics. The ACS defines biochemistry as ‘the study of the structure, composition, and chemical reactions of substances in living systems.’

Ever since I was a child, my dream jobs have always resided in the STEM world; first as an astronaut when I was four and then a veterinary doctor throughout primary school. Upon more exposure to different areas and fields of science in high school, I was very intrigued by how different chemicals interact and carry out everyday processes and in everyday life. For Year 11 I have made an informed decision to study Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Extension 1 Mathematics, Advanced English and Engineering, covering all areas in STEM. In Year 12, I plan to extend my abilities and knowledge by picking up Extension 2 Mathematics. I believe that it is important for more students especially young women to be involved in STEM to account for the rising demand for STEM careers.

I believe that my love for Science and Mathematics will be able to be expressed in the field of Biochemistry. Natural selection and genetics are specific topics of interest to me because of the way slight genetic mutations are selected over time in order to maximise the chances of producing offspring, a concept scientific yet philosophical at the same time.

Recently I visited the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and learned about how they examine genomes for analysis in determining certain aspects of a person’s health such as the potential to carry certain diseases and whether a certain drug will be effective for that individual. I was very inspired and amazed by this and believe that genetic research is highly important and useful to improve the lives of people with genetic diseases and treatments of various life-impacting diseases. By 2026, the demand for geneticists will increase by 29%. For instance, they will carry out research into how different genomes affect the likelihood for certain personality traits and addictions. Through such research and analysis, I hope to develop and discover treatments and more efficient ways to detect, diagnose and treat diseases. Sir David Weatherall, Emeritus Regius Professor of Medicine and founder of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford, U.K. states, “I think there will be huge opportunities … in integrating mathematics and genetics. This is an area of genetics that is less popular and really … important.” My interest and skills in genetics and mathematics will be extremely useful in this area.

The ‘Exploring STEM Careers’ day has provided me with a rare and fortunate opportunity to observe the processes and lives of different careers in the STEM industry.

The trip to Cochlear was highly insightful and allowed me to realise the extent and detail it takes for each and every product to reach people in need and to impact their lives in such a significant and inspiring way.

Through this experience, I was able to further shape my dream career and future goals to be working to help and improve the lives of as many people as possible.

I hope to be working globally throughout my career with scientists not only in the same field but also collaborating with scientists and people in other fields such as engineering and statistical analysis to efficiently and effectively reach and achieve certain goals and solutions.

In the future, I would like to pursue a career in Biochemistry undertaking genetic research to help detection and treatment within genetic diseases and creating effective treatment options to improve peoples’ lives.

Bibliography

Reference, G. (2019). What is DNA?. [online] Genetics Home Reference. Available at: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/dna [Accessed 25 Aug. 2019].

Science | AAAS. (2019). The Future of Genetics–Career Opportunities for Young Scientists. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2006/09/future-genetics-career-opportunities-young-scientists [Accessed 24 Aug. 2019].

Alrc.gov.au. (2019). The importance of human genetic research | ALRC. [online] Available at: https://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/13-regulation-human-genetic-research/importance-human-genetic-research [Accessed 24 Aug. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). What is Biochemistry? What do Biochemists study? | Biology |. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM1t0mWXU30 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2019].

Ntnu.edu. (2019). What is Biotechnology? – Department of Biotechnology and Food Science – NTNU. [online] Available at: https://www.ntnu.edu/ibt/about-us/what-is-biotechnology [Accessed 24 Aug. 2019].

 

By Stephanie Pratikna

By 2030 I’d like to be… an aerospace engineer.

Since I was young I have always loved mathematics & science. Although I have only started learning Physics this year, I absolutely love it. This of course is very different from a lot of my friends who hate mathematics & science and are confused about how I can enjoy it so much. I am always very curious and fascinated about understanding how things work. I am a person who can’t stand repetitive work, instead liking new exciting problems and ideas. I have always wanted to be an engineer for a long time now and the ‘STEM careers’ program in UNSW has given me encouragement and enthusiasm towards studying to be an engineer. In order for me to achieve this goal I will need to study hard in the next 2 years to prepare for the HSC and I am hoping to get a high ATAR and get accepted to the UNSW Aerospace Engineer 4 year program.

I would love to be working in a company such as Boeing, Airbus, NASA or SpaceX. It would be amazing to be able to work my way up to a leadership role in an aerospace company which are predominantly male. Recent case studies show that only 20% of employees in aerospace engineering are women, below the total percentage of women in engineering which falls at around 30%. Women still are not always thought of as working in STEM careers, however, we bring so many new ideas. As a woman in 2030 I hope that I will have made great achievements and through this encouraged and inspired other young girls the same way which I have been inspired by Dr Anita Sengupta. Dr Segupta is a project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory with a PhD in Aerospace Engineering.

At first, many people were confused and questioned her ability to work in engineering because she was a girl.  However she didn’t care and now, she encourages other girls, like me, to pursue an engineering career. Something she has said that really inspired me was: “For me, the motivation comes from within. I’ve had people ask me, when I would tell them what I wanted to do as a career – ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ And tell me it’s very competitive and very difficult. I just don’t try to be anything different than what I am. I’m happy to be a girl, to look like a girl, to be from my generation and I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not.” Dr Segupta is a confident & hardworking person and she isn’t afraid to try something new and go against the crowd. She is definitely my role model.

I would also love to be able to work in a team helping in research, figuring out and designing solutions to many of the aerospace engineering problems we have today. I want to make a difference whether it is big or small.

Globalisation has resulted in a world that is becoming more and more interconnected. People want to be able to get from one side of the world to another in less and less time, making efficiency a massive factor in today’s society. It is also mandatory these days to conserve energy and move away from fossil fuels towards renewable, green sources of energy. The longer we wait and keep using all these non-renewable resources, the greater our ecological footprint will be for our future and our children’s future.

I hope, as an aerospace engineer, to lead a team in designing aeroplanes that will incorporate both of these essential aspects to create commercial planes that run solely on renewable energy, such as solar or wind power and are able to get from Sydney to LA or England, in just a couple of hours. I hope to create a ‘dreamliner’ airplane which is very efficient as well as ensuring the comfort and luxury of its passengers. An aircraft that is light, efficient, comfortable and environmentally friendly. In this way, we will revolutionise the aerospace world and allow this interconnectivity the world needs more now than ever. Solving problems such as these is my goal for the future and my career and being able to improve the aerospace world.