MENTEE – Rebecca Abbott

Rebecca is a third year PhD student studying oncoimmunology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. She completed an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at the Australian Catholic University before starting my postgraduate (Hon/PhD) studies at WEHI under the supervision of Associate Professor Misty Jenkins and Dr Ryan Cross. During the last year of her undergraduate degree she found a passion for lab research working as a student research technician in the lab of Professor Robert Ramsay at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

Rebecca’s PhD focuses on generating and characterising a novel immunotherapies for brain cancer using genetic engineering (CAR T cells). In her project she has been involved in the generation, development and validation of novel immunotherapies for translation into the clinic. Through this process she has developed a keen interest in the translation of scientific findings into clinical trials. She has an open mind and a basic understanding of the many roles required for translation of findings into the clinic. She has great interest in onco-immunology, both the immunotherapy and oncology sides and as she heads towards the end of her PhD, she is undecided of her next career steps.

Through Rebecca’s PhD she has gained an insight into the required academic path and she is keen to investigate other opportunities that still allow her to stay connected to her personal goal of helping patients, be that in academia, or opportunities in Biotechnology or the not-for-profit sector. She is passionate about science, and is keen to stay connected to the industry in some capacity as she plans a path beyond her postgraduate studies.