Meet Patrick Wilmott who is a PHD Student in the Translational Vectorology Unit.

What is your background?

I was raised on the Central Coast by a maths teacher and a youth mental health worker with my younger brother and older sister. I moved to Sydney for uni and the city life and absolutely loved both. When I was 21, I left my dubious music degree to pursue a career in STEM, combined with a BA in International Studies.

What attracted you to science?

I switched degrees once I realised how jealous I was of my friends studying biomedical science. Day one I was hooked. The idea of research was what excited me, but I admit I stayed cautiously sceptical until I finished my honours year. At the tail end of my PhD, I can honestly say I have no regrets taking the plunge. I love that it takes all kinds of work to conduct and communicate research. It calls on so many different parts of you and your brain. Every area of research is constantly moving, and the critical questions will never stay the same.

What does your typical day look like?

Depends on whether it's a lab work day or a desk work day. Intermingling the two I find very challenging. The one thing all days have in common is the respectful disagreement between me and my alarm clock in the morning.

What's your favourite part of the job. The feeling you get when you’ve got some data that tells you something no-one else in the world knows yet. Even if it’s something small, it’s addictive.

What is your favourite part of the job?

Several years back my then-88yo grandmother, Marie Wilmott, retired from volunteer service at Westmead Children’s Hospital. For over 30 years, she took two buses and two trains to volunteer in the neurology ward. This year we said goodbye to Gran, and we will always be thankful for her second family here in Westmead.

Learn more about our Translational Vectorology Unit here.