Name: Miranda
Role Title: Veterinary Microbiologist, Department of Primary Industries
Location: Attwood

Description of work undertaken:
Miranda is a microbiologist. Her work covers two main areas, diagnostics and research. The diagnostic component requires her to test samples submitted by vets for specific diseases and report the findings. Miranda has previously worked with the diagnosis of diseases in pigs, poultry and cattle but she is presently working with diagnosing mosquito-borne diseases. This role requires her to be accurate and thorough, and allows her the opportunity to work closely with vets to improve the health of livestock within Victoria.

These projects also require Miranda to be persistent and have strong problem solving skills. In this part of her work, time is spent in the field as well as using the most recent laboratory technology.

Team and / or individual role / responsibilities:
The team Miranda works within consists of a head research scientist and a few scientific technicians. In her role as a scientific technician, she is responsible for the day-to-day diagnostic testing and reporting of the results to her supervisor. Miranda is also responsible for carrying out and recording results of experiments that she conducts, investigating methods for experiments and writing scientific papers and reports.

Future:
In the future Miranda sees herself going back to university to complete a PhD in microbiology. Once this is finished and she has worked in research labs, Miranda would like to become a university lecturer.

Background
Grew Up Where:
Miranda grew up in Brisbane, where she spent many of her weekends and holidays going to the beaches and bays of south-east Queensland. It was through these experiences that Miranda developed an interest in animals and marine environments, which eventually lead to her pursuit of science.

STUDIES:
Tertiary /post-Secondary:
Miranda completed a Bachelor of Science and majored in aquaculture, minored in microbiology and completed an additional Honours year of research in microbiology. She has also undertaken a Graduate Diploma of Food Science.

Secondary:
At secondary school she completed a Senior Certificate (the Queensland equivalent to VCE) with: English, Maths B, Biology, Chemistry, Music and Legal Studies.

Work experience:
Miranda did work experience with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (Qld), where she assisted research scientists with their work on assessing the types and quantity of by-catch (other marine species that are accidentally caught) in the Scallop and Balmain Bug fisheries.

She also spent 15 months volunteering as a guide at Reef HQ (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Education Centre).

Opportunities
Learning on job, new skills, etc:
Since starting employment with the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria Miranda has learnt how to: identify mosquito species, identify and diagnose diseases in pigs and to culture viruses.

Travel:
Mirandas job has provided the opportunity to travel to Cairns for a conference, to Sydney for training, as well as to much of Victoria.

Advice to Students Now
Students up to Year 10
If you find something in science that interests you, spend time to find more information about it.

VCE students
The science principles learned in high school are the basis of the information you’ll encounter at TAFE or university, so study as if you want to retain the information for a life time, not just until the end of the exam.

Tertiary students
Volunteer!!!!! By volunteering you expose yourself to ideas and people that you may not find in the classroom. You also increase the opportunity to find areas of science you may never have considered exploring before.

Other:
What careers have other graduates from your course entered?
Research Assistant at University of Sydney, working on Pearl boats in Broome, teaching English in Japan, working in Pathology Laboratories, and continued further education to become teachers.