PhD student scoops prestigious research award
Press release
26 August 2008
An international PhD student from the Faculty of Veterinary Science has been awarded a $4,500 bursary, beating top students from across Australia.
Smitha Georgy, who moved to Melbourne from India in 2006, received the Thenie Baddams Bursary in recognition of her research into bone repair.
Ms Georgy was selected for the bursary by the Australian Federation of University Women, South Australia, from 268 applicants and used the money to pay for her attendance at the 35th European Symposium on Calcified Tissues, in Barcelona this May.
“I was really excited to receive the bursary competing against the best candidates from all over Australia,” said the 32-year-old. “I am proud of my achievement and it motivates me to concentrate further in my research. It is very exciting to find out what is unknown in a biological system and I love doing this.
“It was a great occasion to present my research work at the symposium in front of scientists and scholars from all over the world. I was also able to meet the best researchers from all over the world and to assimilate the latest techniques that are being used in bone research.
“It was a very good learning experience and provided a great opportunity for me to travel overseas and visit places I hadn’t been to before.”
She hopes her research, under the supervision of Professor Eleanor Mackie, will bring benefits in the fields of fracture management, bone repair and growth, particularly with problems such as osteoporosis.
The bursary is the latest achievement in a distinguished academic career. During her studies in India, Ms Georgy won several scholarships and passed her Bachelors degree in Veterinary Science with distinction, ranking second at the Kerala Agricultural University.
She has also completed a Masters degree in Preventative Medicine and, prior to receiving an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship from the Australian Government, worked as a veterinary surgeon for the Government of Kerala for four years.
For further information please contact the Marketing Manager, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Tel: 8344 7844 or email: vet-communications@unimelb.edu.au