Doctor of Philosophy opportunities

Dr Nicole Hill

When did you start and finish your PhD?

I started my PhD in August 2017 and submitted in September 2020. I officially passed in February 2021.

Why did you choose Orygen and the Centre for Youth Mental Health (CYMH) for your PhD?

The suicide prevention team led by Associate Professor Jo Robinson was producing really innovative research and was making a big impact in youth suicide prevention, which really excited me. I also wanted to train in a strong research environment that had funding and where staff and students genuinely seemed proud and happy to be there.

What do you see as the benefits of doing a PhD with Orygen and CYMH?

I met a lot of supervisors from universities across the country before deciding to do my PhD at Orygen and the University of Melbourne. It’s a big deal and I knew that I needed to find a supervisor who would drive me and equip me with not only the technical skills but the other skills (such as grant writing) which are necessary for a career in academia. Orygen has a very diverse research and clinical focus and is the cutting-edge place to do youth mental health research.

What were the highlights?

Learning so many new skills – it was such an intellectually fulfilling phase of my life!

Presenting at international conferences in New Zealand, Birmingham, and Northern Ireland and visiting collaborators at Oxford; becoming a part of the Suicide Prevention Early Career Researcher network where I’ve now got friends and collaborators from across the world; collaborating with other suicide prevention and mental health researchers, clinicians and scientists from across the globe which has led to publications and friendships that will last a lifetime.

What was the subject of your PhD research?

My research was on suicide clusters in Australian youth. I looked at different methods for detecting suicide clusters and examined the underlying mechanisms of suicide cluster such as suicide contagion. The research conducted during my PhD has helped communities better detect, respond to and prevent youth suicide clusters.

What did a typical day working on your PhD involve?

I crafted my own PhD. In the first half of my PhD I manually read and coded data from over 3000 police, coroner, toxicology and autopsy reports on youth suicide. I concurrently completed some epidemiology classes at the University of Melbourne and worked part time as a research assistant for Orygen’s Suicide Prevention team. It was a lot of work on a daily basis, but looking back I was incredibly focused and determined to learn new skills and conduct interesting studies that would make an impact in youth suicide prevention.

What did you study at university originally?

I studied a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Brain and Mind Science.

What opportunities has your PhD opened up?

Since my PhD I’ve relocated to WA where I started a youth suicide prevention stream at Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia where I work as a Research Fellow in Suicide Prevention. I’m also Assistant Director for the National Disability Insurance Agency where I conduct research that shapes disability policy in Australia.

What would you say to other people considering doing their PhD with Orygen and CYMH?

It’s a very supportive environment, which is really important when doing a PhD. It’s equally important that you’re in a place that not only helps you develop in terms of your career and research training, but is also supportive of your wellbeing. Orygen and CYMH have done a great job at prioritising both these things.

Anything else you’d like to add?

It’s never too late to do a PhD so never compare your journey to others!

If you’re considering doing postgraduate study at Orygen and have questions don’t hesitate to reach out and talk to people there. The researchers there are all very approachable and they genuinely care about students and helping them build a research career.

Dr Erin Dolan

When did you do your PhD?

I started in 2018 and finished in 2021.

Why did you choose Orygen and CYMH for your PhD?

I previously worked with Orygen on a project and was inspired by my colleagues, their knowledge and willingness to share expertise. I have always been interested in adolescence and how early interventions can reduce mental health in adulthood. As Orygen is a leader in its field (working with young people) it made sense to complete my PhD with Orygen.

What do you see as the benefits of doing a PhD with Orygen and CYMH?

Fantastic resources, partnerships, highly trained and insightful supervisors, a large team of researchers to call on, good exposure and many opportunities to challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone.

What were the highlights?

Amazing supervisory team, all unique in their own way, who were open and always willing to help. Creating a grounded theory which has relevance and has changed my career path. Learning new ways of creating knowledge and seeing things through a different lens. This experience was challenging, extremely beneficial, with the ultimate reward of recognition and being able to call myself a doctor.

What was the subject of your PhD research?

Foundations of support: interpersonal and personal processes associated with rural-based young people supporting a peer who experienced a traumatic event.

What did a typical day working on your PhD involve?

Reading, writing, mapping, analysing and connecting. When I felt stuck and my brain was full of fog, I reached out to my supervisory team and they would always have an insightful gem which would set me on my journey again. A typical day is always changing which keeps you engaged in the PhD journey. 

What did you study at university originally?

Double degree: Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)/Bachelor of Business (Human Resources)

What would you say to other people considering doing their PhD with Orygen?

There are many opportunities to learn through great resources, supervisors, fellow researchers and professional development. You will never feel alone on your journey, there is always someone who can help you see. There are also a number of benefits with Orygen being associated with University of Melbourne, such as a great library and librarians, short courses and writing support days.  

Anything else you’d like to add?

I wouldn’t have wanted to do my PhD anywhere else, it was fantastic feeling part of a team, rather than being treated as a student. 

Dr Helen Osman

When did you start and finish your PhD?

I started in 2012, submitted my thesis in 2016 and my PhD was conferred in May 2017.

Why did you choose Orygen and CYMH for your PhD?

I started working at Orygen’s Early Psychosis Prevention Intervention Centre (EPPIC) as a clinician in 2002. After working for several years at EPPIC, and then at EPPIC Statewide as a clinical educator, I noticed a gap in early intervention research relating to processes that supported mental health clinicians implement evidence-based interventions into their practice. Orygen and the Centre for Youth Mental Health seemed a natural choice due to their significant amount of research expertise in working with young people in the early stages of mental ill-health.

What do you see as the benefits of doing a PhD with Orygen?

The benefits of doing a PhD with Orygen are definitely the people who work there and their sense of purpose, commitment and integrity to continually, reflect, innovate and change.

What were the highlights?

A real highlight for me was the first year of the PhD prior to confirmation. I was fortunate to receive a scholarship for full-time study from the National Health and Medical Research Council, so after previously working for many years as a full-time clinician and clinical educator it felt like a little luxury. It was highly thought-provoking to spend a whole year researching, reading and considering the challenges, theories, evidence base and possibilities relating to health workforce development and putting evidence-based interventions into practice from multiple perspectives.

What was the subject of your PhD research?

My research was focused on mental health workforce development and strategies to support clinicians and service providers implement evidence-based intervention and maintain fidelity in an early psychosis model of care. I researched methods for consensus-building with international experts to identify the skills, knowledge values and beliefs required of an early psychosis clinician.

What did a typical day working on your PhD project involve?

A typical day changes depending on the phase of study. Any given day might involve some reading, academic writing, project management, data entry and analysis, team meetings, networking meetings with national and international colleagues, preparation of poster and oral presentations, submitting abstracts to conferences, literature searching and attending training sessions in research methods or software used for research.

What did you study at university originally?

I studied a four-year Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy), followed by a Master of Occupational Therapy with a research major.

What would you say to other people considering doing their PhD with Orygen?

A PhD is very rewarding but a big commitment over many years. Consider what you would like to do in your career, the role a PhD might take and discuss the impact of PhD study with your family, to determine whether a PhD is right for you and your family at the current time. Do some reading and consider your research focus.

Dr Hok Pan Yuen

When did you do your PhD?

I started in December 2013 and finished in October 2019.

Why did you choose Orygen and CYMH for your PhD?

I was (and still am) a staff member of CYMH and so it was convenient for me to utilise the resources available for my PhD.

Most importantly, I was able to utilise some of the research data already collected.

What do you see as the benefits of doing a PhD with Orygen and CYMH?

Great supervisors, excellent support for PhD students, and a stimulating research environment.

What were the highlights?

Being able to publish my research findings in reputable journals and attend overseas conferences.

What was the subject of your PhD research?

My PhD research was the application of a relatively new statistical methodology to mental health research. The topic was: application of joint modelling to the analysis of transition to psychosis.

What did a typical day working on your PhD involve?

My PhD can be regarded as having three phases. A typical day in phase 1 was spending time going through the relevant literature to understand the methodology, how it has been used in research and how to use the relevant software to apply the methodology.

Then phase 2 involved deciding what research data would be suitable, applying the methodology on the chosen data to explore its application and writing up the results for publication in journals.

In phase 3, every day was spent putting all the work together into a thesis.

What did you study at university originally?

I got a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree with major in statistics.

What opportunities has your PhD opened up?

As a statistical consultant, I have been providing statistical assistance to other researchers. My PhD has enabled me to gain the confidence of doing my own research.

What would you say to other people considering doing their PhD with Orygen and CYMH?

For anyone contemplating doing research in mental health, Orygen should certainly be considered as it can provide good supervision and support, and a conducive research environment.