Dr Sherry Dezvarei

Sherry was mesmerised by nature and the science behind it from a young age. Her curiosity to understand the reasons behind natural events fuelled her interests and guided her towards her career path. She was also driven by the desire to make the world a happier place, with nature as her source of inspiration; its beauty and complexity fuelled her passion for science and discovery.

That passion, along with her resilience and plenty of hard work, earned her the Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence, for her PhD thesis on “Strategies to improve the efficiency of oxidation reactions of the enzyme Cytochrome P450Bm3”.

Now, Sherry strives to contribute positively, motivated by the belief that her work can bring joy and well-being to others, whether it was through her work as a Trace Analyst for Winechek to ensure wines preserve freshness, are free of unwanted flavours and are of the highest quality; her involvement in developing new fragrances for skincare products at JH Lever; or her experience as an Analytical Development Lead at Pfizer, where she worked on the anti-malaria vaccine. 

Having held leadership positions, she’s now focusing on developing her soft skills and aiming to transition into management roles that leverage her diverse skill set gained from her studies and her career.

Sherry passionate about women’s rights, particularly in Iran where she grew up, and supporting women in STEM. She has shown this support for women in the University of Adelaide alumni community by presenting at a Women in Stem Alumni Network (WiSAN) event, being a committee member of the Sciences Alumni Network and being a mentor in the newly launched WiSAN Mentoring program.

“Being part of the WiSAN program during my PhD was transformative. As an immigrant woman in science, I learned so much and now feel a deep responsibility to give back and empower other motivated women to achieve their dreams.”

Sherry recalls her days as a doctoral researcher on a scholarship at the University of Adelaide being filled with challenges and triumphs that helped her learn and grow as a scientist and a leader.

“The time I spent with my lab mates made the experience enjoyable, and I owe a great deal of my success to the support of my PhD supervisor, Dr. Stephen Bell, and the Badger and MLS (Molecular Life Sciences) labs.”

When she's not at work, Sherry is passionate about yoga, and teaches classes in her spare time. She continues to find joy in all her work, and says that following that joy is the greatest advice she can offer an aspiring scientist.

“Choose a career that that makes you excited to jump out of bed every day,” says Sherry. “You spend a significant portion of your life at work, so make sure it's something you truly love and are passionate about.”

“Choose a career that that makes you excited to jump out of bed every day. You spend a significant portion of your life at work, so make sure it's something you truly love and are passionate about.”