Meet the team: Niki Elliot
Advisory member & Team Coordinator
Introduction
My name is Niki, I’m 27 and I’m a PhD student. I grew up in Sydney, but spent a lot of time in Newcastle growing up as my Dad’s family is from Newcastle. I did my Masters of Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Science at the University of Newcastle, and have returned to do my PhD in Biological sciences here as my heart has always belonged to Newcastle. I’m focusing on the genetic cloning of neurotoxins into model organisms to create a more efficient production pathway for these compounds. I hope to study them in depth so that I can turn them into novel painkillers. I am a registered pharmacist and I love that I can combine my knowledge of pharmacy with what I’ve learned in biology to be able to continue studying something I’m really interested in!
Why did you join the team?
I joined the team as I’m always interested in new projects, encouraging others to become more interested in experiments and research, and just generally doing cool science stuff. I love to learn new things and I love to help others learn as well. Nothing is better than finding other people who are excited about the same stuff you are!
What’s your role in the team?
I’m helping out in a supervisory role, helping to reach out to sponsors and assist the team in any way I can. At the moment, this involves doing a bit of admin behind the scenes with fundraising.
What inspires you?
I like to solve problems. I’m passionate about developing alternatives to opioid based pain treatment. I want to try and tackle the growing problem of opioid dependence and chronic pain issues. I also really enjoy research. I love to go on deep dives to find answers to questions I didn’t know I had. I love to learn about obscure topics and find new information.
What you’ve accomplished with the team so far?
Our team has done some great work and it’s wonderful to see how far everyone has come. Everyone has learned something new. I’ve had a lot of fun learning new lab skills that weren’t previously within my wheelhouse.
What do you do outside of this?
I am a registered pharmacist when I am not at university. I work in a small community pharmacy in Newcastle, NSW. I also enjoy sailing, going for walks, going to the beach and I love to read. On a weekend you are most likely to find me in my garden, reading a book in the sunshine. I also enjoy learning languages and cooking. I am currently attempting to learn Spanish and learning how to make my own Italian cheese.
