Meet our upcoming honours students for 2024.
The beginning of the year consistently brings in an air of excitement in the lab. Among the significant developments is our preparation to guide honours students through a rigorous year of research within our group. For the upcoming year, Clear Vision Research is fortunate to welcome three new honours students on board. To get better acquainted, we invited each of them to share a brief glimpse into themselves to share with you all.
Noah Budd
Hi, my name is Noah, and I will be starting my Honour’s year in 2024 in the Clear Vision Research lab. I was fortunate to have completed a research project with the lab during my undergraduate degree and was fascinated by the intricacies and nuances in the characterisation and treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). As such, in my Honour’s year, I’m excited to explore how various animal models of AMD and high-throughput sequencing techniques can propel our knowledge and practice forward in the fight against AMD. But most importantly, I’m excited to embark on this journey amidst a team of supportive and friendly vision scientists who I’m sure will be a source of wisdom and good times in the year to come.
Outside of my studies, I’m heavily engaged with my sport. My main sport is AFL, where I play for a team in Wagga Wagga, but I also classify myself as an average, desperately trying golfer. Whenever I’m relaxing from the trials and tribulations – or in other words, the excessive frustration - of golf, I love to read, including a combination of young fiction (Harry Potter being one of my favourites) to adult, pragmatic non-fiction. Finally, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family, which could involve anything from a chill night in front of the TV or a Tuesday night Trivia that is taken way too seriously.
Skye Holmwood
Hello, I’m Skye and I’ll be joining the Clear Vision Research lab for my Honours year in 2024!
In general, I’ve always been a very curious person and I think that’s what first drew me to science- the idea that there’s still SO much we don’t know really excites me. Whilst all of the science disciplines fascinate me, I’m particularly interested in neurodegeneration and trying to uncover what really goes on in our brains. After losing some family members to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), I’ve experienced first-hand the emotional turmoil that comes with AD, and so, I feel extremely privileged at the opportunity to look into the pathogenesis of both AD and retinal degeneration during my Honours project.
Alongside my interest in all things science, I’m also very passionate about all things travel. I’ve been very lucky to actually combine these two passions with my time in Singapore representing Australia at the International Youth Science Forum, as well as my chemistry research experience at the University of Bologna, Italy. My experience in medical-science research so far has inspired me to continue along this trajectory, as I hope to do a PhD in neurodegeneration overseas following this Honours year.
After completing a short project with the Clear Vision Research lab this year, I am confident that 2024 will not only be marked by valuable learning experiences in the lab, but also lots of great times with this exceptional and supportive team.
Brad Li
Hi! My name is Brad and I’m excited to be starting Honours in 2024 with the Clear Vision Research Group.
Science has always been one of my keen interests driven by a deep-seated curiosity about the intricacies of the world and how it all works!
Human biology was one of those fields that captivated me, and I always felt uncovering the complexities of the body had so much potential to make meaningful impact in people’s lives. Thus, when I came across the work the Clear Vision Group was conducting, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to apply knowledge from a field I’ve loved in a way that could genuinely better people’s lives. In my Honours, I’ll be exploring a class of molecules called circRNA where recent evidence suggests a role in Age Related Macular Degenerations (AMD), which could offer an exciting opportunity for unique therapeutics and diagnostics in AMD.
Beyond my academic pursuits, I find a great deal of enjoyment in bouldering and engage in a diverse range of exercises to support my climbing. Nerdy board game nights with friends are a must, and I never shy away from immersing myself in a good book. Lastly, I have a passion for cooking and delight in the inevitable learning curve that comes with experimenting with new recipes!
We look forward to seeing where their hard work takes them over the year.