What being a Trailblazer recipient means to me

I was extremely thrilled to win a Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant this year.

This grant will enable me to travel and present at a prestigious international dental conference, increase networking opportunities and help to elevate my work and focus at UQ.

First and foremost, the grant provides financial support for local researchers to travel to an international conference. In my case, I will be travelling to the United States to present at and participate in one of the most prestigious dental conferences to be held this year. At the conference, I will learn the latest in research developments and meet and connect with thought leaders from my profession. 

In turn, I will also partner with Brisbane City Council to facilitate hosting this conference in Brisbane in the near future. Hosting this particular international dental research conference will benefit many groups within and outside my profession. Groups to benefit include my dental professional colleagues, as well as researchers, academics and students from the Asia-Pacific dental schools as well as the broader Dental Industry.  As a host city, Brisbane as well as the rest of Australia will be showcased as a tourist destination because the conference will attract both local and international visitors.   

While the grant broadly benefits the Australian dental profession and the local economy, it also helps support and promote me as an individual researcher. As a PhD student, the grant provides plenty of opportunity to network with diverse disciplines and raise my profile within and more importantly, outside my profession and industry. 

Throughout the year, the Brisbane Marketing Board will organise events to help the grant recipients from diverse disciplines to network and engage with each other. One such event will include a breakfast event with Lord Mayor Graham Quirk in May. 

Furthermore, as researchers, we forget that promoting our research is just as important as doing the work itself. I strongly believe that we need to share the joy, occasional heartache, and the significance of our discoveries with the broader community along the way. After all, our work is only as important as how others perceive it to be. 

Thus, I would like to thank Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, the Brisbane Marketing Board, the judging panel and the 2018-19 Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer grant team for playing a supportive role to elevate my work and focus at UQ’s School of Dentistry.        

Last updated:
5 August 2020