Profile
Sean Murphy
Down to the last two scientists. Vote for me to keep me in the competition!
My CV
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Education:
Mandurah High School, Western Australia (1997-2001)
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Qualifications:
Undergraduate – University of Western Australia (2003-2007), Postgraduate – Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (Ph.D)(2007-2011)
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Work History:
Gardener, bricklayer, supermarket shelf stacker, and more recently as a researcher in hospitals in Perth, Melbourne and USA
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Current Job:
Postdoctoral Scientist
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Read more
When you burn or injure your skin, most of the time you heal normally, sometimes with a small scar. However, when wound covers a large area it may not heal at all, and if it does you will end up with a huge disfiguring scar. I use a printer – very similar to an inkjet printer used in your classroom – to print a layer of new skin onto patients with these large skin wounds and burns.
Here is an early design of the printer we plan to use on patients in the future.
This is a prototype that we are currently experimenting with.
First we use a modified scanner to measure the area that is wounded and program the computer to print new skin on the wounded area.
By printing a patients own skin cells onto their wound, they will grow back nice normal looking skin that is the same colour and hairiness that they had before their accident.
We hope using this new high tech printer, patients will leave the hospital looking and feeling as good as new.
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My Typical Day:
An early start, read some papers over a coffee, a few hours of lab work, lunch/red bull, meetings, visit the hospital, say goodnight to my mice and pigs in the lab, and head home to play some guitar and play with my dog.
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Read more
The best thing about being a scientist is that there is never a typical day. Every day is something different and most of the time I get to chose what I want to do. I work in the laboratory quite often, playing with the skin printer and and looking after the skin cells that we use in the printer (instead of ink). Most days I also visit the hospital, where I work with a lot of cool doctors who treat people with severe burns and injuries. Some of these people are in the army, and get injured at war, others are children who have been involved in accidents. It is important to spend time talking to their doctors to ask them how science can help treat these patients.
This is just a picture of me dreaming about winning a Nobel prize one day
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I will make an interactive iBook that will be free to download and will teach students about all of the new research and technology that is being used to try and create cures for patients.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Determined, Curious, Joker
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes, all the time. I was a bit of a class clown.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
The Black Keys and Muse
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I’d wish that there would be no more sickness, no more war, and more wishes!
Tell us a joke.
Q. What do you call a Manchester United fan with half a brain?………….A. Gifted
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