Today, and all days, we're Marching Forward to ensure all girls and women break barriers and unlock power and opportunities where no one is left behind.
We had the privilege of chatting with Avril Bezant, ORIGINS Data Coordinator, and Alexis Harun, ORIGINS Paediatric Coordinator, who reminded us that it’s never too late to pursue your passion, and their hopes for women entering a STEM career.
An Interview with Avril Bezant
How did you end up working at ORIGINS? Was it a straightforward journey, or did you initially plan to pursue a different career path?
My career path has been anything but straightforward! I started in multimedia design, then spent a decade in hospitality and events - working in everything from food and beverage to housekeeping, kitchens, and wedding coordination. After that, I dabbled in retail, but I always felt that I couldn't give back to the community like I wanted too. So, I decided to become a dietitian.
Going back to university for the fourth time led me to my true calling: research. I earned a Masters in Bioinformatics and, through networking and countless volunteer hours, found my way to ORIGINS. I started by enrolling expectant mothers, then moved into the paediatric team conducting BodPod assessments. Eventually, I landed in the Data Team, where I now work on cleaning and organizing ORIGINS’ databases, helping to create a platform that gives researchers access to invaluable health data.
What does your day-to-day work look like, and how does it help you achieve your goals at ORIGINS?
No two days are ever the same for me at ORIGINS! I juggle a bit of everything - keeping our database clean, jumping into paeds clinics when needed, troubleshooting IT and Redcap issues, and even holding down the fort at reception. I also help with sub-projects, making sure their data collection runs smoothly.
Beyond that, I’m the go-to person for maintaining the BodPod, liaising with CareerLink to welcome high school students into health research (we’ve got our second female student arriving in June!), and supporting researchers with data extracts. I also help participants with app and questionnaire queries and keep things running smoothly at our Edgewater clinic, coordinating with facilities to ensure everything is safe and functional.
Of course, alongside Dr Sarah Whalan and the Data Team, I work with the Data Divers to build a bespoke platform and app. Ultimately, I want to show that ORIGINS isn’t just about research and data; it’s about integrity, reliability, and fostering strong connections with our wider community.
What do you hope to achieve, or what passion are you pursuing as part of the ORIGINS team?
What I want to see is ORIGINS being recognised as a platform that other researchers can rely on to gather information that is strong and robust, as well as empower our child participants to believe that being happy and healthy is important. When I was conducting the BodPod measurements, I would get the children involved by helping me press a button or write down a number, anything to make them feel included in the research and ignite their curiosity in research and science.
What I want to achieve myself is to keep going in ORIGINS until it's end (which doesn't seem to be in sight any time soon as we keep expanding!) and to see the last data quality check ticked off and verified. It would also be a bonus to see an ORIGINS child in a STEM career path where they are helping improve the health of our community and to know that perhaps we had a part to play in that.
What advice do you have for women and girls who want to enter a STEM career?
It is NEVER too late, and you are NEVER too old, or young to enter a STEM career. I was 36 when I studied nutrition science at ECU, and I had classmates in their 40 and 50s studying with me.
There are many ways to get into STEM not just through university. Life experience is also very important, understanding the way the world works cannot be taught just through books alone.
We have the integrity, grit and determination to get the job done properly. So, follow your intuition, don't think you have to stay within the box to succeed, and don’t let anyone say otherwise and keep you down.
An Interview with Alexis Harun
How did you end up working at ORIGINS? Was it a straightforward journey, or did you initially plan to pursue a different career path?
I’ve always had an interest in science communication and health promotion, though, I’d never considered a career working within ‘child’ health research until I completed a professional health practicum with The Kids (formerly Telethon Institute for Child Health Research back then!).
After my practicum I then I commenced working within child health research with special focus in children with autism and their families, listening to their stories, collecting valuable research data and taking on every experience or opportunity to learn. I had the opportunity to learn so much about working within research, working on some amazing research projects and with some amazing researchers and team members. I took on every experience I could- from completing behavioural & cognitive assessments for research, to coordinating research projects, and even some lab work processing our research blood samples. I had always known about the work ORIGINS was trying to achieve, as a project I previously coordinated was a subproject of ORIGINS.
I then took a brief break from research to have my two children and after this returned to research working on various other projects at including some at ECU. An opportunity to join the ORIGINS team then became available- which I was very excited about and decided to accept which led me into the role I’m doing today.
What does your day-to-day work look like, and how does it help you achieve your goals at ORIGINS?
Currently I’m working as the Paediatric Team Coordinator within ORIGINS. I get to coordinate a fantastic team of individuals where we all work together to complete ‘Kids Checks’ on our ORIGINS participants.
These Kids check appointments collect information for ORIGINS including allergy testing, a health check, body composition measurements in our ‘Spaceship – the BodPod’ and biological samples. Part of my role is overseeing this data collection and working with our research families to collect this data.
Working with children and families can be a lot of fun but it also has it challenges! For example, trying to convince a 3-year-old to let you measure something as simple as their height. But finding ways to make research fun for our families attending their appointments and a positive experience is something I really enjoy. Being able to explain to families and children the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of everything that we do in clinic and hopefully spark curiosity about science, research, or health too.
We also get to provide real-time feedback to families, which can make difference to their child’s health or developmental outcomes, all whilst also being able to collect valuable research data. All this data contributes to not only investigating the prevention of disease but also how every child and family can reach their full potential and flourish.
What do you hope to achieve, or what passion are you pursuing as part of the ORIGINS team?
Being able to continue to provide families with evidence-based information regarding their child’s health and development. We’re listening to families and their concerns or areas of interest regarding their child and family’s health. Being able to be involved in the research that answers these questions and makes positive changes is something that I want to continue being a part of.
What advice do you have for women and girls who want to enter a STEM career?
Seek out experience. Something that helped shape my career choices was taking on different volunteer and work experience opportunities in areas I was interested in or wanted to learn more about. This can help you to see the kind of work you will be expected to do and help you decide if you like the area of you are choosing. Although be open to change and understanding that it's okay to change your mind and pursue changing passions or goals.
Reach out to mentors. It helps to have mentors or support who believe in you and encourage you to pursue your goal and passions. Having positive support is invaluable especially during challenging moments. I was very lucky and have had the experience of working with some very talented and supportive individuals within my career in research, many who have provided guidance and support.
Over my years in research, I’ve got to meet so many families and listen to their stories, their triumphs and struggles regarding their child and family's health. It continues to highlight the need for the research were doing so we can contribute to providing answers or support. The possibility of not only making changes to health on an individual level but being able to create positive change and influence on a population-based level is something that continues to excite me. Plus being part of a pretty awesome team of individuals helps too!