Studying at NCARD means access to state-of-the-art facilities, the best available technology, and world-leading health and medical research specialists.
Study With Us
Why Study With Us?
Our Mentors
When you join NCARD, you are joining a team of outstanding clinicians and scientists. NCARD is the top mesothelioma research group in the world, and our people have expertise in a variety of areas related to asbestos disease and cancer.
We have a long history of advising and training students, and our mentors will give you the support you need to develop your research skills. The experience you gain as a student here in analysis, organisation, communication and leadership will prepare you for any career you choose, and boost your employability.
Watch Premier’s Science Award 2024 Student Scientist of the Year Winner and NCARD PhD graduate Nicola Principe’s interview.
Our Culture
We take pride in our outstanding student culture. Our postgraduate group usually consists of around ten students, each at different stages in their academic journey. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn and receive support from a diverse and tight-knit peer group with a strong social aspect.
In addition, we have many avenues for students to engage in initiatives outside research, such as our Kindness in Science team, or to work alongside consumers and advocacy groups.
Lastly, there are rewards for high achievers, such as bonuses for publications – see our available Scholarships for more detail.
Our Facilities
NCARD is located in the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research – a world-class facility containing the best available equipment that was constructed in 2014.
Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research is part of the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Medical Centre, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. QEII fosters an environment of collaborative opportunity by hosting over 40 health-related organisations, including hospitals, research centres and universities, in one precinct. Notable entities operating in the QEII space include Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and our primary partner university, the University of Western Australia.
Our adjacency with healthcare facilities allows our students to observe clinics to understand the experiences of patients, their families and carers, and the clinicians who manage their care.
Contribute to Research
On average, two people in Australia are diagnosed with mesothelioma every day. This illness is currently incurable, and the five-year survival rate is only 6%. However, advancements made at NCARD have meant that more people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases live longer with better quality-of-life.
Previous students have said one of the best aspects of training at NCARD is knowing they are making a genuine contribution to asbestos disease research. The work students do at NCARD helps us reach our goal of improving the lives of people affected by asbestos-related disease.
How To Join Us
At NCARD we’re always looking to recruit outstanding students into our research programs. Our research projects span areas such as immunology, genetics, bioinformatics and medical physics. For 5 reasons to study with NCARD, read our Postgraduate Opportunities brochure.
Many of our alumni have pursued successful and fulfilling careers in research academia, medicine, industry and allied health.
To express your interest in any of our research projects please contact us via ncard-research@uwa.edu.au or through our Contact Us page. We will be happy to provide you with more information or direct your enquiry to the relevant research team member.
International students may check their eligibility to study in Australia by clicking here, or by contacting the University of Western Australia’s International Students Office.
Research Projects Available
Supervisors: Dr Francois Rwandamuriye, A/Prof Alec Redwood, Prof Jenette Creaney
The problem: Many cancer patients do not respond to immunotherapy because they lack strong anti-tumour immune responses.
The opportunity: Personalised neoantigen mRNA vaccines could boost anti-tumour immunity by teaching the immune system to recognise tumour-specific mutations.
The key question: Does where an mRNA vaccine produces its antigen influence how the immune system responds?
The approach: Use synthetic biology tools, including RNA toehold switches and microRNA target sequences, to control antigen expression in specific cell populations.
The goal: Understand how the cellular source of antigen affects antigen presentation and CD8⁺ T-cell priming.
The bigger impact: Generate knowledge that can help guide the design of more effective mRNA-based cancer vaccines.
Open to:
- Honours
Supervisors: Dr Francois Rwandamuriye, A/Prof Alec Redwood, Prof Jenette Creaney
The problem: mRNA vaccines must balance strong antigen expression with sufficient innate immune activation to generate effective anti-tumour responses.
The opportunity: Understanding how innate immune responses shape mRNA vaccine performance could help optimise the design of more effective neoantigen cancer vaccines.
The key question: How does type I interferon signalling influence mRNA uptake, antigen expression, antigen presentation and immune activation?
The approach: Compare modified and unmodified mRNA and investigate how IFN responses shape these processes.
The goal: Identify the balance between antigen expression and innate immune activation needed for effective mRNA vaccination.
The bigger impact: Generate knowledge to guide the design of more effective mRNA-based neoantigen cancer vaccines.
Open to:
- Honours
Scholarships Available
At NCARD, we strongly encourage potential students to obtain scholarships before starting their postgraduate training.
The UWA scholarship search has the full range of scholarships offered by the University.
Domestic students may be eligible for the Research Training Program grants offered by the Australian government.
International students may use the StudyAustralia search tool to find available scholarships.
Masters, Medical Fellowship and PhD
NCARD offers top-up scholarships for high-performing students.
The Douglas Peter Swift Top-Up Scholarship commemorates Douglas Swift, who lived in Wittenoom and died from mesothelioma at the age of 53. His family is generously offering this scholarship to an NCARD-supervised PhD student who has mesothelioma as a dominant theme of their research.
Eligibility
- Must be a PhD student
- Must have an NCARD researcher as their primary supervisor
- Must have mesothelioma as a dominant research theme
- Already holds a living allowance scholarship
- Does not hold an existing top-up scholarship
- Must have completed less than two years FTE of their PhD
- Can be full-time or part-time; however, part-time students must be part-time due to caring responsibilities or medical conditions, must possess a part-time scholarship, and may be working no more than 8 hours a week in paid employment.
We offer top-up bonuses to PhD students who publish papers related to their work while at NCARD, as an incentive for students to reach publishing milestones in support of their training.
These are:
| Milestone | Top-Up |
| First author review accepted within first year | $2,500 (once only) |
| First author data paper accepted | $2,500 per publication (to max. 4 publications) |
| Additional reviews / data papers | No additional payment |
Top-ups are capped at $10,000 / year / student, including funds received from sources other than NCARD. Top-ups cease after 3.5 years of FTE study.
Eligibility
- Students must be enrolled through UWA, studying full time and in receipt of a scholarship.
- Students must not be working part-time in a professional capacity.
- First author data papers must be the student’s PhD work.
- Reviews and data papers must include NCARD in the student’s affiliations.
Undergraduate and Honours
We currently offer vacation scholarships for undergraduate students wishing to work on a project over the summer. These projects can be between 4-10 weeks long, and serve as short-term opportunities for students to train with NCARD.
Interested students are encouraged to contact us to determine whether there is a suitable project available. After a project has been agreed upon, the student should then apply for a Cancer Council WA (CCWA) Vacation Scholarship with the support of their supervisor. NCARD has seen significant success with this scheme in the past.
For undergraduate students who are not funded by a scholarship or other external funding source, NCARD offers short-term scholarships up to $3000 each year.
Eligibility
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree.
- Student under the primary supervision of NCARD for the project (i.e. >50% of the supervision load lies with NCARD affiliated supervisors).
- Mesothelioma is the dominant theme of research (including research into risk identification, the biology and development of disease, treatment, improving care and quality of life of patients).
- Student does not hold an existing summer or project-based scholarship.
Volunteering and Internships
Volunteering and internships can be arranged for students who are interested in the work we do at NCARD. Contact us at ncard-research@uwa.edu.au to discuss available opportunities.