Hi, I'm Kimberley.
I'm a credentialed Hospital Scientist (CMLS) in diagnostic genomics at the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, where I've spent the past four years working in genetic pathology whilst completing my BSc in Cell and Molecular Biology.
My path here isn't linear. After returning to Australia from Europe, I began working in the Emergency Department. I loved the controlled chaos, teamwork, reliance on each person performing their role.
It is inspiring to watch emergency physicians, and nurses draw upon their depth of knowledge in trauma scenarios. I became increasingly curious about pathology, wanting to understand the mechanisms behind what I was seeing. I wanted that intellectual challenge for myself.
I enrolled in a Bachelor of Science and spent 18 months balancing 24/7 shifts with study. When a trainee position opened in the hospital's genetic pathology labs, I made the leap to full-time lab work whilst continuing my degree part-time.
I may not be on the front lines anymore, but the work is just as meaningful. I am helping people who have often had long, difficult journeys through the healthcare system before being referred for genetic testing.
I've become increasingly drawn to the computational side of genomics. I've been deliberately building bioinformatics skills: reproducing published WGS and RNA-seq workflows, developing scripts to process sequencing data from first principles. figuring it out as I go, which is the point.
Mathematics, and how it underpins modern genomics is a genuine interest. I've also contributed to a team that has translated two assays into diagnostic practice, and that experience of moving a technology from research into accredited clinical use is what I find most compelling about this field. Diagnostic genomics is my home, but its boundaries are expanding rapidly. That is where I am heading.