Maryam 1
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Maryam Taraji

Analytical Chemist

Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all” – Dale Carnegie

I have always been interested in mathematics and problem solving since I was very young.  I believe that mathematics is a way of thinking about problems and issues in the world. This mathematical thinking has given me a strong ability to develop and progress a career in chemistry. My first job as an analytical chemist was at Alzahra University in Iran, where I am from. During these two-and-a-half years, I learnt how to utilise my interest and knowledge to be creative and make new discoveries in the chemistry laboratory. During this period my project focused on the extraction of pharmaceutical compounds.

Currently, I am a PhD Research Candidate at the University of Tasmania. I am sponsored by pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the Australian Center for Research on Separation Science (ACROSS). This provides me with the wonderful opportunity to work under the supervision of Professor Paul Haddad and Associate Professor Robert Shellie.

As a scientist, the kinds of things that I do each day include designing experiments, analysing the data that I collect from my experiments, creating models that help to explain what I find and writing reports so other scientists know what I have discovered. The main goal of this project is to design strategies and software tools that other scientists can use to make their experiments and analysis better. This will increase the standard of quality and safety in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines.

In my career to date, I have had the opportunity to work in projects related to method development in pharmaceutical analysis. I hope to continue my career in this field where I can achieve a direct benefit to people’s health and well-being with my research.

The thing I love most about scientific research is that each day teaches you new things and these experiences will make you more understanding and logical.

For more information: www.utas.edu.au/across