When forging a career beyond a PhD, many of us will not end up where we thought we were going when we started. Research evolves, goals change, and, of course, the reality of the job market forces many to pivot direction - or explore other options. In Australia, surveys indicate that roughly a quarter of PhD graduates move into academia.
For the Career Pathway video series, we’ve spoken with researchers who’ve taken their knowledge and expertise to a variety of roles within and beyond the institution. Whether you’re planning your next step or simply curious about what’s possible, this feature is designed to help you imagine a future for yourself in – and alongside – research.
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Associate Professor Dalia Nassar reflects on how she has built an academic career that blends teaching, research and service in the humanities.
Dalia shares the journey she faced uniting teaching and research, the lessons learned from working with first-year students, and how she has shaped her role to balance the 40/40/20 workload. Her story demonstrates ways to protect research time, build connections across a university and make a lasting impact in their field.
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Dr Matthew Clemson is an education-focused academic in biochemistry and molecular biology who teaches hundreds of students each semester while researching new ways to improve learning. Starting out with the desire to “find a cure for cancer,” he discovered during his PhD and postdoc that his real passion was teaching — mentoring others in the lab, inspiring students and developing innovative teaching practices.
Matthew shows how an education-focused career can have a huge impact by shaping thousands of future scientists and influencing teaching innovations across the university and beyond.
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Dr Haihui Joy Jiang is a lecturer and research leader in the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney. Her pathway began with volunteering in research labs as an undergraduate before completing her Honours and PhD. During her postdoctoral fellowship, she discovered her passion for deep-tech research.
Now on a Horizon Fellowship, Joy balances research, mentoring and governance while running her own independent lab – showing how curiosity, exploration and hands-on experience can lead to a fulfilling research-focused academic career.
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Associate Professor Agisilaos Kourmatzis explains how he has built an academic career in aerospace, mechanical and mechatronic engineering that combines industry partnerships, research leadership and teaching. He shares the rewards and challenges of conducting industry-funded research within a 40/40/20 workload, from developing new technologies with partners to managing a diverse research team.
His story shows how academics can build strong disciplinary foundations, stay adaptable to market needs and create real-world impact while balancing teaching and governance.
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Dr Jingjing You has built a career at the intersection of research and entrepreneurship. A Senior Lecturer and Sydney Horizon Fellow – and Chief Scientific Officer for several start-ups – she moves between the lab, industry partners and clinical collaborators.
Beginning her PhD as a curiosity-driven researcher, Jingjing discovered the commercial potential of her regenerative medicine work and went on to co-found a company. Jingjing shares how problem-led research, collaboration and a willingness to cross boundaries can turn discoveries into real-world impact and create a career as a research entrepreneur.
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In this video, Dr Elie Matar takes us inside the life of a clinician researcher. As a Horizon Fellow, neurologist, and sleep physician, he shares how he balances patient care with research, turning clinical challenges into scientific discoveries.
Elie explains how organization, prioritization, and strong mentorship are key to managing both roles, and highlights the satisfaction of mentoring PhD and postdoctoral students. His work shows how combining medicine and research can create real-world impact for patients.
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Dr Sanné Mestrom is a Senior Lecturer and Research Director at Sydney College of the Arts whose career demonstrates how practice-based researchers can thrive in academia. By building a sculptural practice recognised as research, immersing herself in the art world, applying for competitive grants and winning an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), Sanne has shown how creative practice can be taken seriously at the highest research levels.
In this episode, she shares how persistence and passion for practice-based inquiry can carve out a distinctive and lasting academic career.
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Dr Amy Smoothey is a senior scientist at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, where she combines her love of marine science with real-world impact. From tagging and studying sharks to conducting bite investigations, analysing data, and advising policymakers, her work is diverse and dynamic.
Amy also supervises students and engages with the community to share scientific knowledge. Her career shows how research outside academia can influence public safety, shape policy, and make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
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Dr Taylor Syme has carved a unique career in research support as a commercialisation manager in the Research Portfolio at the University of Sydney. Starting out as a PhD, he realised that his passion lay in translating research into real-world impact. In this role, he helps researchers protect intellectual property, negotiate deals with companies, and turn discoveries into tangible products.
Taylor shares how this career blends strategy, innovation, and collaboration, and how it opens doors to roles across startups, industry, and the innovation ecosystem. Taylor shows how supporting research can be as impactful—and rewarding—as conducting it.
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Dr Liz Carter has built a career as a technical specialist at the University of Sydney, managing the Sydney Analytical Vibrational Spectroscopy node while supporting researchers across disciplines. Starting with a PhD and postdoc in spectroscopy, Liz spent 25 years growing her facility from a handful of instruments and users into a hub supporting dozens of researchers.
Liz balances hands-on science with people management, mentoring colleagues, and ensuring experiments run safely and efficiently. In this episode, she shares how volunteering, seeking mentorship, and stepping out of your comfort zone can shape a fulfilling career in technical support and research infrastructure.
