Monash Science

Thank you to all the industry partners and representatives who participated at our 2026 Science Industry Careers Expo this week.

Our Monash Science students gained valuable insights and connections over the two days interacting with some of Australia’s leading companies and organisations. A special shout-out to the panel members who shared their experiences and advice on how our students can start their science careers on the right foot.

Jacqui Cu***ng (Senior Director Clinical Development, Arovella Therapeutics ASX: ALA)
Jovana Sobat (General Manager and Principal Executive Consultant, CS Executive Group | Australia Wide)
Khozema Kaka (Business Manager Commercial Optimisation, IXOM)
Milos Ridesic (Product Manager, Agilent Technologies)
Tianna Milburn (Operations Manager, Envirolab Group)
Andrea Henderson (Meteorologist, Bureau of Meteorology)
Sandra McCullough (Geologist, Datarock)
Rosie Tafuro (Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, CSL)
Isaac Harvey (Principal Data Scientist, CSL)
Kylie Hailes (Lead Technical Director, WSP in Australia)
Ronan Cotter (Business Development Manager, ENGIE)

For the full list of industry partners and representatives, head to go.monash.edu/sci-careers-expo

A world-first map of Earth’s sand dunes could help scientists better understand everything from our changing climate to conditions on Mars.

Dr Andrew Gunn from Monash University’s School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment has created the most complete and accurate digital map yet of the world’s wind-blown sand dunes.

Published in Nature Communications, the research combines satellite imagery and high-resolution topographic data to uncover the environmental rules governing where dunes form.

“Sand dunes can serve as natural archives of climate and geological history,” Dr Gunn said.

Their shapes and patterns preserve clues about wind, sediment and past environmental conditions, information scientists can use to reconstruct ancient climates and investigate distant worlds.

The findings are particularly relevant to Mars, where dunes can provide valuable information about surface winds and mineralogy.

The new global map also gives scientists a baseline for tracking how Earth’s wind systems and drylands change as global climate patterns shift.

As Dr Gunn explains, it could ultimately help researchers understand not only Earth’s past, but how desertification and wind-driven erosion may reshape communities in the decades ahead.

Read more: https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/world-first-global-sand-dunes-map-reveals-clues-to-distant-worlds,-including-mars

Did the Science Industry Careers Expo get you wanting to continue the conversation?

Keep the career talk going at the Fireside Chat with Thermo Fisher Scientific on 25 August.

Hear directly from leaders and graduate alumni as they share:
💡their career experiences
💡what employers look for in grads
💡practical tips for transitioning from uni to industry.

Learn more and register: https://my.monash.edu/news-and-events/bookings/pdvcse/view/284131/

What better way to celebrate National than to judge cakes and eat them too 🍰 Congratulations to the winners, and thanks everyone for your delicious creations!

Best cakes
School of Biological Sciences: Red Dress
School of Chemistry: Ctrl + P
School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment: The Entia Gneiss Dome
School of Mathematics: 3 dimensional Latin cake of order 5
Faculty of Science Office and Sustainable Development Education: Sustainably Delicious Educators

People's Choice: 3 dimensional Latin cake of order 5

A new form of quantum matter could be waiting to be created in the lab.

Monash physicists have predicted that two very different types of quantum particles, bosons and fermions, can combine under the right conditions to form stable, self-bound “quantum droplets”.

It’s a result that challenges decades of thinking about these strongly interacting particle mixtures.

“Quantum systems can behave in ways that seem impossible in our everyday world,” says lead author PhD candidate Sam Foster from the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy. “We’ve shown that these two very different types of particles can balance each other perfectly to create a stable droplet that effectively holds itself together.”

Published in Physical Review Letters, the work could help scientists better understand how matter behaves under extreme quantum conditions, knowledge that may ultimately contribute to future quantum technologies.

Read more: https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/monash-physicists-uncover-a-new-form-of-quantum-matter-that-could-reshape-future-quantum-technologies

What if one X-ray scan could do the work of two?

That's the aim of a new imaging technique developed by researchers at Monash Science.

Known as dual-sample multimodal imaging (DSI), the method images two overlapping samples at the same time, potentially doubling scanning efficiency while still producing high-quality images.

Dr Marie-Christine Zdora, from the School of Physics and Astronomy, said the approach turns a traditional challenge into an advantage.

"Instead of treating a second object as something that gets in the way of seeing the other sample, we use it to help create the image."

The breakthrough could help speed up inspection of electronic components, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals and even packaged foods, while supporting new discoveries in biological and medical research.

Published in Optica: Dual-sample multimodal X-ray imaging the research team also includes Associate Professor Kaye Morgan and Professor David Paganin.

Read more: https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/new-x-ray-imaging-technique-could-double-scanning-efficiency-while-revealing-hidden-detail

Monash Science students and graduates: these employers and industry leaders are ready to answer your questions.

Attend the Science Industry Careers Expo panel discussions next week to gain insights to career paths and possibilities.

Find out more and register: go.monash.edu/sci-careers-expo

From Monash Science to Oxford 🎓
Congratulations to Monash Physics alumnus Jordan Klein, who has been named a 2026 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholar.
Jordan graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Science Advanced Research (Honours), earning First Class Honours in physics and multiple academic prizes, including awards for the best thesis and the top overall rank across physics and astronomy.
Now he's heading to the University of Oxford to undertake a PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics, where he'll focus on optical neural networks and the development of physically grounded computational systems.
Jordan's research brings together physics, machine learning and nanophotonics, with a strong interest in how emerging technologies can be developed effectively and responsibly.
Congratulations, Jordan! 👏
Read more about the 2026 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholars:
https://www.ramsaycentre.org/news-and-media/announcements/2026-ramsay-postgraduate-scholars-announced/

The surface rarely tells the whole story.

Whether studying marine ecosystems or educating the next generation of scientists, Professor Richard Reina believes the most important discoveries happen when we look deeper.

In this article, he explores why universities need to prepare students not just for today’s jobs, but for a future shaped by emerging technologies, global challenges and scientific questions we can’t yet answer.

It’s an inspiring perspective on where science education is heading.

Read more: https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/2026/why-tomorrows-scientists-need-more-than-science