Research Assistant hangs up lab coat after five years
After five years with the Critical Care Research Group, Research Assistant Mahe Bouquet recently hung up her lab coat and says it will be the diversity of the projects and people that she’ll miss the most.
CCRG Research Assistant Mahe Bouquet (Belgium)
“I moved to Australia in 2017 and joined the group soon after. I knew I wanted to work in science to build on my experience, and after about 9 months searching for the perfect role I landed the job here at CCRG. I’m so thankful CCRG believed in my abilities and offered me the position.
“Working alongside researchers and scientists from different countries and diverse backgrounds helped me settle into my new life in Australia, and my colleagues quickly became family away from home.”
Mahe says being able to work across different streams and projects was the most rewarding part of her five years with the Group.
“I worked on most studies undertaken by CCRG’s PRIMELab and STARLab, including The Living Heart Project, ARDS and sepsis. I’d contribute to processing samples and running analysis across the projects while supporting the surgeons.
“Working across multiple projects with their own pressure points, varying deadlines and complexities means the work never becomes monotonous. It challenges you to think outside the box and be creative with problem solving and time management.”
Mahe and our Research Nurses and Assistants are instrumental behind the scenes ensuring everything runs smoothly inside and outside the lab, including stock maintenance and troubleshooting.
“In my opinion, the greatest recent development that CCRG has contributed to is our work with hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) to extend donor heart preservation times.
“As a scientist, you don’t always get to see real-world applications of your preclinical work, but with The Living Heart Project, the early results were so compiling they could be rapidly translated into clinical trials. It’s so rewarding to see the impact of our research on patient’s lives.”
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