BergLabs

That’s me at the Peak District National Park.

I am currently working at Oxford Nanoimaging, and living in Oxford.

I have worked for Alere Toxicology (which became part of Abbott), the Australian National Measurement Institute, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Teach for Australia, and Sydney Grammar School.

I have studied Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Archaeology, and Digital Cultures at the University of Sydney. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry.

I debated competitively for the University of Sydney Union.

To keep fit, I run and play squash.

This is my résumé.

Biophysics: Super-resolution Microscopy
Currently I work for Oxford Nanoimaging doing research with their super-resolution microscope, and it is exciting!

Biochemistry: Immunoassay
As a Production Scientist for Alere Toxicology (now Abbott) I produced materials for drug detection in oral fluid, using Lateral Flow ImmunoAssay (LFIA) and Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA)

Physics:  Condensed Matter
I am a qualified user of the SAXS/WAXS beamline at the Australian Synchrotron (pictured above).

Nanotechnology:  DNA Origami Biosensors
My most significant scientific achievement to date has been designing and building a biosensor for BIOMOD, an annual biomolecular design competition run by the Wyss Institute at Harvard. My team and I won the grand prize in 2014, competing against 29 other teams from around the world. You can read about the work we did on our wiki.

Organic Chemistry:  Synthesis
I have worked on the total synthesis of the natural product Ageladine A, as part of a summer scholarship supervised by Prof. Peter Karuso at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

I have also worked on tethering sugars to organic-metal complexes as a method of targeted drug delivery for anti-cancer agents, as part of a summer scholarship supervised by Dr Michela Simone at the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.

Analytical Chemistry:  Anti-Doping
I worked in anti-doping for the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory (ASDTL), using a range of analytical chemistry techniques to detect a wide range of performance enhancing substances in blood and urine samples.

 

Education:
I have completed an undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Sydney.

I participated in the Tohoku Summer Science Program, including looking at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

Leadership:
As development officer at the University of Sydney Union I oversaw the training program for the world’s top debating institution, catering to skill levels from novices to world champions. I focused on using statistical data to better target areas of weakness in the program, and in addressing diversity and disadvantage within the society.

University Debating:
I have competed representing the University of Sydney Union at both national and international debating tournaments.  I have judged at international and national tournaments at university level, including the World University Debating Championships.

Coaching:
I have coached high school debating teams, several of which placed first in their respective competitions.

I am passionate about sharing my love of science, logic, and critical thinking.

Teaching:
I completed the 13-week Initial Intensive program with Teach for Australia.

Coaching:
I have coached several teams in competitive debating for high schools and universities in Sydney, Australia.

I have worked as a private tutor in mathematics, physics, and chemistry with students across a wide range of ages and abilities.

Communication:
I wrote this article about flossing for Honi Soit, the University of Sydney student newspaper.