by Damion Lenne, Bachelor of Biological Sciences student at La Trobe University and In2science Mentor
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit my mentor’s workplace as part of the In2science Mentor Leaders Program. The program pairs you up with a professional in science and guides regular meetings to provide both advice as your mentor but also experiences and information that you can pass down to your In2science students. My mentor’s name is Rhiannon Grant, and she studies food allergies at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI). I was excited to visit especially considering the scope of the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), and the amount of research possible there.
I arrived about an hour earlier than we scheduled so I took the time to explore the Children’s Hospital. It was extremely open and didn’t really feel like a hospital which was really unique, especially considering the difference it must make for the kids who are receiving treatment there. After exploring I made my way to the MCRI check in area and met Rhiannon.
We took the elevator and she gave me a tour of her lab and office spaces; they really seemed like they had someone for every discipline!
Rhiannon’s lab was where she carried out most of her practical research. It had an amazing view. After the tour, we sat down at the in-office café (called the Synapse – I always love a neuroscience pun) and we had a chat about Rhiannon’s current research and how she found herself in the position she was currently in through her studies and life experiences, which is always interesting to hear about. She then asked me about how I was going and my future directions, and about research I was currently working on through uni.
We chatted about In2science and our current work in volunteering with the Scouting Association (which we are both involved in – very cool!) and about strategies you could use when communicating science to a younger audience or community members through these programs.
Overall, visiting the MCRI was an informative experience, I sincerely enjoyed talking in person with my mentor and seeing where they do their work.
