Igli Subashi is making a big splash in the world of medical research.
After graduating from the University of Wollongong, Igli was chosen for the Amgen Scholar Program, a huge accomplishment in the science world.
He spent his time at the University of Melbourne diving headfirst into some seriously important research.
His mission is to find a new way to help people suffering from chronic pain.
"I was working with cells from mice, monkeys, and humans, testing antibodies on them," Igli explains.
"My goal was to reduce a protein that we know is linked to chronic pain. I'm hoping our findings could lead to a more effective treatment."
Igli's been passionate about this kind of work since his high school days.
"I've always wanted to discover treatments for diseases that we don't have good remedies for yet," he says.
"When I heard about the Amgen Program, I knew I had to apply. And I was over the moon when I found out I was accepted."
Getting into the Amgen Scholar Program wasn't easy and in fact, it was extremely competitive.
But Igli thinks his academic excellence and his impressive juggling act - three volunteer positions and three paid jobs - made him stand out.
Despite the pressure, Igli faced the challenges head-on.
"One big challenge was the time crunch. I found out about the program just a week before the deadline and had to get a recommendation letter from one of my professors. It was a bit stressful, but I stayed calm and got it in on time."
This experience, according to Igli, is going to have a huge impact on his future career.
"The program gave me a chance to improve my independent research skills and make some great connections.
Most importantly, it's brought me one step closer to my dream of discovering treatments for diseases like chronic pain, Alzheimer's, and Motor Neuron Disease."
Learn more about the Pathway Programs available at UOW College.