Douglas Jackson

I went straight from school into my Bachelor of Biomedical Science, as I was initially aiming for graduate entry into a medical program. However, in my final year I undertook a research project and really enjoyed it. As a result I wanted to continue with medical research and so pursued my PhD. 

Since graduating from my PhD I worked for a couple of years with CQU as a sessional academic before being employed by RMIT University as an Early Career Development Fellow. In 2020 I started at Australian Catholic University as a lecturer (science) and am now the Biomedical Science course coordinator. In this role communication is key. As an academic I'm working to convey scientific concepts and knowledge to students, but it is equally important in my role as a course coordinator. In that role I'm working with students throughout their journey, and clear communication prevents many misunderstandings.

My degree gave me the specialist knowledge need for my career, but it also gave me the skills needed to continue building my knowledge and understanding. Learning how to learn, how to do research, and how to be reflective, have really helped me within my career.