Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, so we sat down with one of our rising stars (and half-marathon runner) Pooranee Morgan, whom we think has what it takes to go the distance in the wide world of science.
Who/what inspired you to enter a career in research?
My mum was a chemistry major so I had early exposure to science but I stumbled upon the world of research while I was undertaking studies for my Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. After that, I thoroughly enjoyed my honours research year under the wing of Graeme Lancaster and Andrew Murphy. The opportunity to work with them was truly a research milestone and platform for me as it solidified how passionate I was towards problem solving and finding new methods towards solutions.
You received a couple of significant awards at the Baker Institute last year – the Baker Institute Julie Campbell Award (2022), and a Bright Sparks Travel Fellowship (2022) – what are your short-term ambitions and what do you hope to achieve within your area of science?
I’m currently a post-doctoral researcher in Andrew Murphy’s Haematopoiesis and Leukocyte Biology laboratory. My research interest seeks to understand how altering the lipid composition of immune cells using dietary supplementation modulates their sensitivity to ferroptosis (a type of cell death). I strive to continuously find novel knowledge about basic cell biology. That’s the best aspect of my work — the discovery of new things, and I very much appreciate that I’ve been recognised for that through those awards. My short-term ambition, though, is to secure a few grants to enable me to further my research interests.
Give us an example of a time when you’ve put yourself outside of your comfort zone?
Drawing upon the time I moved to Melbourne from Singapore alone was definitely something that was way outside my comfort zone. I was only 17 years old at that time and I moved here to pursue my education. The new environment, space, people and culture was intimidating at first but having a good support system really allowed me to transition well.
I was lucky that I had family friends who lived here when I moved over. It definitely made my transition a smoother one. But then I started stepping outside my comfort zone and fostering my own networks by joining university societies and volunteering programs, presenting to large groups. Doing those things gave me further opportunities to meet new people and interact with others.
In your spare time, what would we find you doing?
I’m currently training for a full marathon after having completed two half marathons last year with a couple of my Baker Institute colleagues. I’m very motivated to take on the challenge. Other than that, I enjoy checking out new restaurants and bars with my friends.
What are your plans outside of work for 2023?
As an animal lover and an owner of a dog and a bunny, together with my friends, I plan to volunteer my time at dog shelters during the week. Additionally, I’ve always wanted to learn a new language, so, along with some friends, I’m planning to enrol in a language class sometime later this year.
