Jett

PhD in Medical Science

Flinders University PhD in Medical Science student, Jett felt the pressure mounting as soon as COVID-19 restrictions hit.

With access to laboratories and hospitals restricted he faced serious complications to continuing his studies. Next, Jett’s partner left Adelaide to return to family in Russia.

Then once the tourism industry stalled Jett lost his part-time job with a car rental company and he experienced financial hardship.

His application for financial assistance from the Federal Government was rejected and his rent arrears began to accumulate.

It has been a tough time for Jett who admits it was a fight to keep his mental health in check.

‘It’s not a good recipe for keeping a good grip on your mental health, but obtaining the scholarship got me through a very tough time. It gave me hope,’ says Jett.

This hope fuelled Jett’s determination to keep progressing with his PhD studies into the central nervous system and the brain’s reaction to lithium used as a medicine.

However, as his research relies on experiments being conducted in medical facilities, Jett’s PhD project faced delays when access to laboratories and hospitals was restricted to prioritise the public health response to the coronavirus threat.

With these limitations, Jett worked on writing up his initial research findings at home until normal lab practices could resume - while juggling temporary work at the University marking undergraduate papers.

‘The scholarship paid my rent and gave me six weeks of breathing space to focus on continuing as much practical research as I could,’ he says.

‘I got through by maintaining a routine - I’m not letting this pandemic hinder my productivity. I’m using online avenues provided by Flinders wherever possible, for meetings and lectures, to prevent any further delays in my research.'