Women In Science: Interview with Alison Deslandes

To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2024, hear from Alison Deslandes, PhD candidate in the IMAGENDO Group, about her journey as a researcher, what drives her ambition, and what unique challenges she has faced.

What are you aspiring to achieve in your area of research?   

"I aspire to expand the diagnosis of endometriosis with imaging to reduce the time people with endometriosis wait to receive their diagnosis. "

What drives your motivation to be a researcher? 

"I’m like an annoying toddler…. I’m constantly curious about everything and always asking 'WHY?'."

"Surround yourself with people who believe in you (…) and you can achieve great things.”Alison Deslandes, PhD candidate

What is the best thing about your job? ... and the hardest? 

"The best thing about being a researcher is that you get to discover new things. In my field (health and medicine) sometimes the research you do will lead to changes in how we do things and improve outcomes for patients- which is extremely cool to see.

The hardest thing however is that sometimes things just don’t work. Or an idea you have can be very hard to get off the ground because research takes a lot of time (and sometimes you need money to do studies) which you just don’t have." 

A moment, decision, discovery or achievement in your career that you are proud of, is.... 

"A study I did during my Masters program was cited in the Australian Federal Parliament Senate Estimates session to highlight the need for increased Medicare funding for ultrasounds to detect endometriosis. It was very unexpected, and I was extremely proud to see my work having an impact."

What support do you wish you had had along the way that wasn’t available to you? 

"I’ve been very lucky to have amazingly supportive people around me in terms of supervisors and mentors as well as friends and family so I have never felt that I have lacked support. However, there have been times I have had to miss opportunities to present my research at conferences as I didn’t have any funding to attend. "  

What is your message to girls or young women contemplating a career in science? 

"If you want to do it- go for it. If you choose a topic you’re passionate about, you will never get bored. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, inspire you and encourage you, and you can achieve great things."