Career options for Biomedical Science at Murdoch University

Our Degrees are changing.

In 2014, Part I (first year) units will be introduced with Part II (second year and higher) units becoming available in subsequent years. Detailed information about Part II will be available here from mid-2014.

Find out more about our new degrees, or to get in touch and ask us what this means for you head to AskMurdoch. Continuing students can still access information for degrees commencing 2013 and prior in the Course Handbook.

Career options

Despite our successes in combating disease, old and new maladies alike continue to challenge human health. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma and infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria are just some of today's problems. Thus, there continues to be a strong need for graduates with expertise and training in disease processes so that human disorders can be diagnosed more accurately, treated more effectively and/or prevented from occurring in the first place. As a Murdoch Biomedical Science graduate, your employment outlook is excellent, especially if you combine it with other disciplines. Depending on which skill combinations or specialisations you have, your Murdoch degree may lead you towards work and study opportunities in a number of areas. The following are some professions to consider, including extra majors and minors that will improve your prospects of achieving them.

Biomedical Researcher

Biomedical Scientists investigate the molecular and cellular basis of disease and are involved with medical research endeavours to enhance health. By working in a laboratory at a hospital, university or research institute, they produce outcomes that are very important to medicine and which may translate directly to the bedside or clinic. They may also be concerned with the impact of the environment changes on health. They may work on projects in diverse fields encompassing cancers, infectious diseases, emerging pathogens, genetic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic diseases. The triggers of these diseases may include disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria, parasites and other microbes or be genetically-based due to the inheritance of a mutated gene or variant sets of genes. They work on increasing the knowledge of the diagnosis, mechanisms, and prevention and/or treatment of disease including for example vaccine development. Knowledge may be sought in multiple disciplines including physiology, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, molecular genetics, pathology, microbiology, parasitology, and pharmacology. Some Biomedical Scientists opt for a career as a University Academic where they can combine their research work with teaching. Recommended extra major or minor: Molecular Biology.

Medical Biotechnologist

Today, many Biomedical Scientists are involved in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Research using molecular techniques, such as recombining DNA through genetic engineering, has led to the production of important therapeutic substances, including human insulin and growth hormone. Biomedical Scientists with molecular skills work on the Human Genome Project to isolate genes and determine their function. This work continues to lead to the discovery of the genes associated with specific diseases and inherited traits, such as certain types of cancer or obesity. These advances in biotechnology have improved our capacity to manage disease and created research opportunities in almost all areas of medicine and biology, with commercial applications in the medical, food and agricultural industries. Recommended extra major or minor: Biotechnology or Molecular Biology.

Biostatistician

Biostatisticians contribute to medical and biological scientific inquiry by applying their mathematical and statistical knowledge to the design of surveys and experiments; the collection, processing, and analysis of data; and the interpretation of the results. They may apply their knowledge to a variety of subject areas, such as biology, medicine, public health, psychology and sports. Many economic, social, political, and military decisions cannot be made without statistical techniques, such as the design of experiments to gain Federal approval of a newly manufactured drug. Recommended extra major or minor: Mathematics and Statistics.

Other Careers

A Biomedical Science qualification can be used directly or as a stepping-stone to other vocations that include:

  • Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Chiropractic or Veterinary Medicine
  • Medical Technology
  • Patent Attorney
  • Bioinformatics
  • Biomedical Sales and Marketing
  • Scientific Journalism
  • Secondary School Teaching