Sandy Milne, a UWA postgraduate student, recently undertook a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship with The Kids Research Australia (The Kids), gaining new perspective on his potential to contribute to meaningful change through a research career.
After completing a Law degree, Sandy took some time to travel, which was followed by the COVID-19 pandemic; he then decided to return to study, enrolling in the Master of Public Health at UWA.
“Through my internship I was able to work with The Kids on the Impact for Tourette’s study, Australia’s first nationwide survey into unmet needs of those living with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and tic-related disorders,” Sandy said.
“The study provided both qualitative and quantitative insight into the experience of those living with TS across medication, diagnosis, therapy, and quality of life. I believe Impact for Tourette’s is well positioned to effect policy change, and to influence the recognition of TS and tic disorders as a disability.”
Dr Melissa Licari, Senior Research Fellow in Child Disability at The Kids and a first-time internship supervisor, said that Sandy had been an excellent temporary addition to her team.
“Sandy’s knowledge, skills and fresh perspective greatly enhanced the Impact for Tourette’s study,” Dr Licari said.
“His ability to adapt, engage with complex issues, and make meaningful contributions to the research made a real difference.
“Taking on McCusker Centre of Citizenship interns is incredibly valuable as they bring innovative ideas and fresh perspectives that enrich our work. Importantly, it also provides an opportunity for us to mentor the next generation of researchers, helping them grow while benefiting from their contributions.”
Familiarising himself with the literature was the biggest challenge for Sandy, who began the internship without prior experience in movement disorders or physiology more broadly. Through the internship, however, he gained confidence in his career aspirations.
“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit in on a focus group held with adults living with TS. I found listening to their lived experiences, and their appreciation of our work, helped solidify my decision to pursue a research career, as did the feedback from Dr Licari who was a great internship supervisor and mentor.
“I believe Impact for Tourette’s has come at a crucial time for the mental health conversation, uncovering a number of salient, patient-centric proposals which may be enacted in the future.
“I now feel more optimistic about the capacity of research to enact meaningful change at the macro scale, and I feel excited about pursuing this as a career.”
Sandy applied for the McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s internship program after seeing a number of roles listed that aligned with his interests in health policy, mental health and epidemiology.
“I was impressed by the efficiency with which the Centre’s internships team paired me with a suitable project and supervisor, and I found the rest of the process well organised and supportive.”