Monique Bax, Research Associate

Monique is a stem cell researcher specialising in vascular disease modelling.

 She completed her Rotary-funded PhD at the University of Wollongong, where she investigated the causes of Motor Neurone Disease under the supervision of Prof Lezanne Ooi and the late Prof Justin Yerbury. Following her PhD, Monique was drawn to cardiovascular research, joining the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. There, as a Senior Research Fellow in Prof Bob Graham's lab, she developed the world’s first induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) biobank for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD).

 In the Sinha lab, Monique is investigating the Achilles’ heel of the coronary arteries—seeking to understand why they are particularly susceptible to diseases such as atherosclerosis.

 Outside the lab, Monique enjoys live music, making digital art, and a good story in any form — book, film, haiku, you name it. She’s an enthusiastic (if not particularly skilled) boulderer and will swim in the ocean at any opportunity.