Danielle Taylor: overachieving undergraduate

Collaborating on research projects and presenting at national and international conferences are big steps in any early researcher’s career, and Danielle Taylor, a Bachelor of Science (Advanced Science) student, is bounding toward her career goal: a researcher in the fields of chemistry and nanotechnology with biomedical applications.

During her studies at UWS, Danielle has presented at and attended conferences and symposia, including a conference in Germany, and has travelled as far as France to collaborate on research projects.

While at UWS, Danielle has been involved in three research projects under the supervision of Marion Gaborieau and Patrice Castignolles from the School of Science and Health (opens in a new window), and Michael O’Connor from the School of Medicine (opens in a new window). Danielle has contributed to research on gellan gum for organ regeneration studies; natural polysaccharide chitosan and its potential use in the development of economic and easily producible stem cell substrates; and investigated the effects of anticancer drugs and model drug compounds on healthy DNA.

“The research projects Danielle was given the opportunity to take part in have equipped her with research skills and competence in using state-of-the-art research instruments, such as capillary electrophoresis and solid-state NMR spectrometer,” explains Marion, who has been working with Danielle since 2011. “It is not only a solid preparation to a career in academic or industrial research, but also a valuable professional experience.”

“In February 2012, I was able to present the gellan gum work as a poster at the 33rd Australasian Polymer Symposium in Hobart,” says Danielle. “In December 2012, I attended the 20th RACI Research Development Topics Conference at Deakin University in Melbourne and presented a poster on the chitosan project. Also in December, I attended the 14th Australasian Polymer Summer School at Flinders University, Adelaide. Most recently, I went to Aix-Marseille University, France, to meet and discuss with collaborators. Following this, I attended the 6th International Symposium on the Separation and Characterisation of Natural and Synthetic Macromolecules in Dresden, Germany, where I presented both the gellan gum and chitosan projects.”

Danielle says that attending these conferences has allowed her to meet people, many of whom are leaders in their field, and discuss the future plans for her projects. “From these experiences I have gained valuable speaking skills, confidence and motivation to succeed in a research career,” says Danielle. “These opportunities have enabled me to experience situations meant for people further developed in their careers and may lead to collaborations, putting me ahead in my career.”

Marion says that while it is unusual for an undergraduate to complete such extensive research, she will reap the rewards of her hard work. “This unusually high research output certainly testifies her professional competence,” she says. “It will improve Danielle's CV and will increase her chances to obtain excellent project opportunities and competitive funding for postgraduate and postdoctoral research in Australia and internationally.”

Danielle credits UWS’s Bachelor of Science (Advanced Science) and Summer Studentship programs as well as her supportive supervisors for being able to commence research early in her studies.

“If you are willing to put in the work and succeed, you will find people who will support and guide you to your goals,” says Danielle.