UPH Student won a CSIRO vacation scholarship From Indonesia to Ourimbah, one student’s desire to make a difference

Neha, a CSIRO Summer Vacation Scholarship grantees;                       UPH Food Technology student

Originally from India, Neha moved to Indonesia with her family when she was young, and began studying food science through the Universitas Pelita Harapan in Tangerang, west of Jakarta.

Through the dual degree program Neha was able to study the third year of her degree through the University of Newcastle, joining the Bachelor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the Ourimbah campus. “It was a new experience, and learning the same degree in a different country was definitely what I wanted to do” Neha told ABC Radio Newcastle recently.

Since coming to Australia Neha has gone from strength to strength, securing a CSIRO vacation scholarship over the summer.

Neha said of the scholarship, “it offered me, as an advanced undergraduate student, the opportunity of collaborating with leading CSIRO scientists.” Neha reallocated to Brisbane for the scholarship, and completed her project at the University of Queensland, Queensland Bioscience Precinct. At the end of the two month program a symposium was held in Canberra, where Neha got the opportunity to present the results of her research project and hand in a written report.

During the scholarship program Neha was working on understanding the effect of probiotics on gut satiety hormones. Discussing her research, Neha explained “some ‘next generation probiotics’ have been found to be associated with improvements in obesity and associated metabolic disorders. The levels of gut hormones glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) are known to influence appetite in humans. Reduced levels of these hormones signal a person to eat more, which if out of balance can eventually lead to obesity.”

“The World Health Organisation has estimated that 30 per cent of the global population is obese and overweight, and that’s just leading to so many disastrous diseases,” she said. Through statistics like these, Neha was able to see the worth her research and future career could provide. “The aim of this research is to test if these next generation probiotics can positively influence the satiety hormones GLP-1 and PYY and in turn help in the fight against obesity” she explained.

Neha expanded her skills and knowledge throughout the scholarship program, and enjoyed the opportunity to apply the theory she’d learnt at University. “I have a clearer idea now as to where I want to head after my undergraduate study and the endless possibilities of science and technology continues to uplift my passion for learning” she said.

Image courtesy of Robert Virtue, 1233 ABC Newcastle.

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