Study at the Westmead Institute

Students are a fundamental part of research activity at the Westmead Institute. We give our students the opportunity to do important work that is closely linked to the needs of patients.

The almost 100 students at WIMR benefit from state-of-the-art technology, world-class research leadership and a strong culture of collaboration.

The Institute offers postgraduates professional career development, mentoring, social clubs and a leading edge facility. We welcome summer projects, Masters, Honours and PhD students.

Our proximity to – and close affiliation with – Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney Medical School ensures research at the Institute extends from the laboratory to the patient. This bench-to-bedside philosophy means that students work with clinicians to solve real life medical problems.

In fact, every project our students work on has a very real clinical relevance to patient care.

What’s student life like?

Of the over 400 people at the Westmead Institute, more than 120 are honours or PHD students. Brilliant, determined and ambitious to make a difference to people’s lives, they are a daily inspiration to our research teams. Watch here for a glimpse of student life at the Institute.

Social society for research students

StResS@Westmead is a social society for research students who are based at or affiliated with Westmead Campus. StResS engages with and connects the diverse array of research students at Westmead through a variety of social and educational events and aims to create an exciting and supportive student atmosphere on and around campus. Join our mailing list to hear about upcoming events. Simply email stress.westmead@gmail.com

Meet some of our students

Jen Li

Dr. Jennifer Li is a nephrologist who completed her PhD at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research and the University of Sydney in 2024, under the supervision of Associate Professor Natasha Rogers, Professor Philip O’Connell, and Professor Stephen Alexander. She was awarded The Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) President’s Prize for her research on kidney inflammation following renal ischemia-reperfusion injury—a condition that occurs when blood supply to the kidney is disrupted and then restored

Olaitan Ogunbodede

Supervised by Professors Scott Byrne, Andrew Harman, and Dr. Kirstie Bertram in WIMR’s Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research, Olaitan’s research focuses on the immune system’s role in the development of complex diseases. Alongside his research, Dr. Ogunbodede is dedicated to improving health outcomes as a front-line health worker in the Emergency Department at Blacktown Hospital. He is also committed to raising awareness about the impact of COVID-19 on sexual health and sexually transmitted infections. In 2023, Olaitan was honoured as the NSW International Student of the Year – Higher Education.

Harry Robertson

Harry Robertson is a research student and aspiring bioinformatician at WIMR who was recently awarded a Fulbright Future Scholarship (Postgraduate) hosted by Harvard University. His Fulbright research focuses on identifying biomarkers for organ transplant health using advanced imaging techniques. Unlike traditional biomarkers, which often require expensive sequencing and are inaccessible to many, Harry’s innovative approach leverages machine learning to analyse imaging data, aiming to develop a universally available, non-invasive diagnostic tool for transplant recipients.

Harry envisions a future where healthcare decisions are informed by comprehensive patient data: ‘my goal is to make this vision a reality by developing accessible biomarkers for organ transplant health.’

Current student opportunities

The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, in partnership with the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and Western Sydney University, supports over 100 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Research, and Honours students conducting research for their degrees.

A team of WIMR researchers, who are experts in their respective fields and hold joint appointments with our partner universities, serve as supervisors and mentors to guide these students.

Research at WIMR, including student-led projects, focuses on understanding how genes, molecular, and cellular processes influence health and disease. This knowledge forms the basis for developing future preventive measures, treatments, and cures.

Our research students benefit from access to researchers who are leaders in their field with extensive clinical networks, superb organisational culture, and stunning research environment.

We encourage students to reach out directly to researchers to explore the upcoming opportunities available (see researchers and research groups).

ON THIS PAGE

Overview

Student life

Current students

Current opportunities