QAEHS in Focus: Julia Orr

16 Jan 2025

QAEHS in Focus shines the spotlight on QAEHS staff and students to showcase the expertise and talent within our Centre

How long have you worked at QAEHS?

I have worked at QAEHS as a casual RA since 2021 (SNP, COVID project, AESB), but only commenced as a PhD student mid-2024.

How do you explain your job to people?

I am so passionate about my work that anyone brave enough to ask what I do should be prepared for a mini TEDx-style talk on human biomonitoring research and why it’s so important - consider this your warning! But if I’m trying to keep it simple, I usually just say, “I’m a research scientist.”

What is your favourite thing about working at QAEHS? 

Working at QAEHS allows me to channel childlike curiosity and wonder through the lens of scientific research, while contributing to something much greater than myself. It’s an environment where passion meets purpose, and it fills my cup with pure, unadulterated joy.

What is something you learned in the last week?

I was taught me how to perform a BUV serum/breastmilk extraction!

What has been your career path that led to your current position at QAEHS?

For years, I was determined to become an environmental scientist. However, despite my passion, I quickly realized that my brain worked a little differently from that of most other students. Resultingly, I spent a lot of time feeling humiliated by the disconnect between my enthusiasm and the outcomes I was achieving.

Everything changed in 2020 when I took ENVM3211 run by Dr Jake O'Brien, as an elective. That class - and the QAEHS researchers I met through it (including one of my now PhD advisors - Sandra) - completely altered my life trajectory. I vividly remember asking Jake, ‘You get paid… to do this?’ From that moment, I was hooked. I rediscovered my spark - the little voice that urged me to get back up and keep going. And so, I fought harder for my dream. That’s the magic of QAEHS. Just a year later, I started working there as a casual research assistant.

Before I knew it, I was undertaking my Honours research and then graduating with a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Hons I), majoring in Natural Resources (I started out as a soil science nerd!). With a little encouragement from Prof. Jochen Mueller, like Darth Vader beckoning future PhD students to the dark side, I decided to take on a PhD - not necessarily to achieve some grand scientific feat, but to prove to myself that I could continue to conquer my fears and self-doubts. Looking back, I know younger Julia would be so proud of how far I’ve come.

What research are you working on now?

I’m aiming to establish the fitness for purpose of human biomonitoring programs based on pooling of deidentified surplus pathology samples.

What is your favourite movie?

Princess Mononoke - it beautifully captures the importance of respect, understanding, and coexistence between humans and the natural world.

Random fact you would like to share about yourself.

Prior to learning about QAEHS in 2020, I was completely opposed to establishing my career in scientific research. I even called UQ a few times throughout my undergraduate degree, practically begging to be excused from my compulsory Honours research project - I just didn’t think I was cut out for it! I’m glad fate pulled me in another direction.

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