Candidate stories

Meet our research candidates, explore their stories and discover how they are creating impact through empathy with collaborative and contemporary research.

When Michael Reynolds, a prominent Indigenous physiotherapist and academic, first decided to embark on a career in allied health, it was a leap into the unknown. This was the mid-1990s, a time when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander physios were few and far between.

With a SACRU Fellowship, Ethan Murphy is taking his PhD overseas

ACU PhD student Ethan Murphy received a 2024 Visiting Doctoral Research Fellowship from the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU). SACRU is a network of universities that are committed to supporting excellence in research among Catholic universities around the world.

Bringing Australia's diverse history to life

Amid the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, there are countless stories waiting to be told. Jen Rose is an historian whose passion is uncovering the stories of ‘ordinary’ Australians, in particular, the migrants who have shaped the city’s history.

Giving marginalised women a voice

Farjana Mahbuba is using her PhD research to give marginalised migrant women a voice by gathering data about financial spousal abuse in the Muslim Bangladeshi community in Australia in the hope her work will lead to lifechanging policy reform.

Bridging the gender gap in sports science research

Menstrual cycles have a huge impact on the performance of female athletes, and yet, very little research has been conducted to examine its influence.

A passion for women's health

For much of recent history, pregnant women have been told to dial back the exercise – keep it simple and safe, and nothing too intense in case it harms the baby.

Lifting the silence on Australia's trans history

For as long as he can remember, Adrien McCrory has been fascinated with history. He carried this passion into university, discovering his niche in contemporary Australian crime history, and soon found himself reading old court transcripts, “just for fun”.

Building a better world with bioethics

ACU graduate and Fulbright scholar Dr Xavier Symons uses philosophical reasoning to solve real-world ethical dilemmas.

Wellbeing of First Nations' youth

PhD student Georgia Durmush is working to see a more positive representation of First Nations youth, especially in research, and says it’s time for universities to start listening to their voices.

A safer place for women and children to live

A few years ago, when Ulrike Marwitz was a social worker in Tasmania, she was supporting a mother who had been in two abusive intimate relationships. One of this woman’s ex-partners was nearing the end of his prison term, leaving Ulrike and her colleagues increasingly concerned at the risk he posed.

Understanding the adolescent athlete

There’s something special and unique about the love that young people have for sport: the intrinsic drive they hold to have fun and achieve their best on the sporting paddock – for themselves and their teammates.

A quiet achiever shines through

Nicamil Sanchez has never been one to shout his achievements from the rooftops.

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An advocate for success

With a SACRU Fellowship, Ethan Murphy is taking his PhD overseas