Meet Ramaciotti's New Student Interns: Elizabeth and Austin
Published on the 17 April 2026 by Kate Arellano
Ramaciotti’s Sanger Sequencing and ONT Long Read Sequencing teams have welcomed two new students to assist with various laboratory activities.
Our newest recruits, Elizabeth and Austin, have joined us via UNSW’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program. The WIL program connects students with partner organisations, giving students the opportunity to gain valuable workplace experience as undergraduates.
Meet Elizabeth
Elizabeth He, an international student from Guangzhou, China, has had a keen interest in biology since she was in school.
“When I was young, I wondered why some of my classmates seemed different. Later, I learned that they have down syndrome, which made me curious about how genetics impacts people's lives," Elizabeth says.
In her third year studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in Genetics at UNSW, Elizabeth plans to research genetic diseases and ways to treat and cure them. Her future career goals are what led her to apply for a placement with the Ramaciotti Centre.
"I applied for a placement at Ramaciotti because it aligns well with my future career aspirations. DNA and RNA sequencing are very important to biological research, and I believe that working here will provide me with good experience working in the lab."
Elizabeth has enjoyed working with the Sanger Sequencing team and is grateful for the welcoming environment.
"This placement has been a very good experience so far. Everyone I have met is so supportive and willing to guide me," Elizabeth says.
Meet Austin
Originally from Moree in rural NSW, Austin Budiada is in his second year studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in Genetics and Pathology at UNSW.
The WIL placement at Ramaciotti gave Austin a unique opportunity to gain hands-on lab experience as an undergraduate.
"I saw that Ramaciotti was taking on lab interns, which was unlike any other opportunity offered by BABS (School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science)."
Austin has been working with the ONT Long Read Sequencing team, taking on tasks such as quality control, sample preparation, barcoding, and setting up flow cells.
"It’s been interesting seeing how ONT sequencing works up close,” Austin says. “The technology is so cutting edge that it has only just made it into our biology lectures."
Although Austin is still open to many future career paths, this experience has been an “eye-opening” one.
“Meeting the people at Ramaciotti and getting to know where they are from, what research they've done, and the different paths have led them to the Ramaciotti Centre has been eye-opening for me career-wise.”
“This placement has broadened my perspective of the interconnections between research, industry, and academia. It has been incredible so far, and working with everyone has been such a great experience," Austin says.
