Background

Senna is a PhD student through the Department of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University. She researches compounds which inhibit malaria parasites from invading human red blood cells during infection. Her work encompasses drug activity characterisation and target identification, as well as elucidation of the localisation, function, and essentiality of specific aspects of malaria parasite biology. 

Senna completed a Bachelor of Science in 2022 through the University of Melbourne, majoring in immunology and microbiology. During this time, she was an intern at Burnet Institute under the supervision of Associate Professor Gilson and Dr Hayley Bullen, researching a novel class of proposed antimalarial candidates. She continued this project in her honours year through Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne. Senna now primarily works on Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites and has partnered with interstate collaborators to establish Plasmodium knowlesi culture at Burnet Institute.

Qualifications

• 2024: Bachelor of Science (Honours), Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2022: Bachelor of Science, University of Melbourne, Australia