They call me the Career Doctor. I help researchers work out what comes next.
I make the complicated bits of career planning and research commercialisation a little less complicated.
About me
I’m a researcher career development specialist, technology transfer practitioner, author and occasional professional untangler of complicated things.
My career started with an ultra-niche PhD in marsupial reproductive physiology - which is always fun to explain at dinner parties. Like many PhD graduates, I eventually reached the “Great, I have a doctorate… now what?” stage and discovered that being highly qualified and knowing what I can do with those qualifications are two very different things.
A few career pivots later, I’ve worked across research, university tech transfer, researcher development and careers. Today, I’m a Learning Advisor in Researcher Development at the Australian National University, where I specialise in career development for HDR candidates - helping them navigate the doctorate and work out what the hell comes next.
I’m also an RTTP (Registered Technology Transfer Professional) and work with researchers to better understand the IP issues that arise during research.
As an author, I write about the practical realities of university commercialisation, researcher careers and doctoral education. Basically, the bits nobody thought to put in an instruction manual.
What ties it all together?
I like making complicated things understandable, practical and useful. Whether it’s careers, IP, commercialisation or the doctorate itself, I’m much more interested in what happens in the real world than what happens in the perfect flowchart.
I also firmly believe that professional development can be rigorous, evidence-based and useful without being boring.
Work with Me
Something new is coming…
I’m currently developing a range of professional development and training services, drawing on my experience across researcher development and university tech transfer.
In the meantime… you don't necessarily have to wait.
Depending on where you work or study, you may already have access to sessions coming (see below)
LESANZ Webinar (Nov-2026)
LESANZ members have access to webinars and recorded events.
I'll be presenting a webinar on "Sneaky copyright infringement" this November.
Summary:
Sneaky copyright infringement creeps in quietly through licenses, ownership assumptions, open-source software, publisher agreements, and reused materials. You think everything is fine, then suddenly your commercial project has a copyright problem sitting right in the middle of it. This webinar focuses on sneaky forms of copyright infringement, how to avoid these pitfalls and how guide your inventors (researchers) in the right direction.
On Prime Mentor (Aug-Oct 2026)
I’m a mentor with CSIRO’s ON Prime, a free nine-week pre-accelerator helping Australian research teams explore whether their science and technology has a life beyond the lab.
Through customer discovery, market validation and mentoring, teams test assumptions, understand potential users and explore pathways from research to real-world impact.
I draw on my tech transfer experience to help teams ask better questions, challenge assumptions and navigate the messy space between a great research idea and a genuine opportunity.
Researcher Development at ANU
I design and deliver "the Career Doctor", a series of 13 practical workshops helping researchers make informed career decisions, understand their options, and prepare for professional life within and beyond academia. The full series is available to ANU students and staff.
I also develop and facilitate intensive researcher development boot camps, including Beyond the Viva Career Boot Camp, Journal Article Writing Boot Camp, Thesis by Publication Boot Camp and Thesis Boot Camp.
Different topics, same philosophy: practical skills, real-world advice, and professional development that isn't boring.