Ashley Ng
Why did you choose the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for your PhD?
I came to a PhD from a medical background. Once I completed specialist medical training in haematology I wanted to pursue research into how the body makes blood cells, as well as look into the genetic causes of leukaemia and lymphoma. The Cancer and Haematology division is focused on these areas and it was a perfect fit.
What do you see as the benefits of doing a PhD at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute?
I wanted to work at an institution with the people, experience and facilities capable of asking questions related to the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human disease.
I have been fortunate to have very supportive supervisors, colleagues and experienced personnel who work in the institute to foster collaborations and cross-pollination of ideas, making a hard job worthwhile.
When did you start your PhD?
2008
What is the subject of your PhD research?
I look at blood stem cells and the genes that control their ability to do their job in the body. Interestingly, some of these genes are also important to human cancer development.
My job is to look at the ways in which these genes misbehave and, once they do, how they lead to human cancers.
What does a typical working day involve?
I start early most mornings, planning, preparing or starting experiments for the day as well as for weeks and months ahead. As I work on rare cell populations this is a fairly involved process, analysing cells from mouse bone marrow, growing them or transplanting them.
I collaborate with different people and meet frequently to discuss results. There are institute and divisional seminars throughout the week. I also generally like making time to write papers and work on my thesis.
What did you study at uni?
I did a Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. I also did a Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSci) at the institute and undertook basic physician training, specialising in haematopathology and clinical haematology after completing my medical degree.