Alumni Stories
Grads 2024: Hollie Speer
Cardiovascular health researcher Hollie Speer knows firsthand that every PhD is different. “There are different motivations for people who do decide to go on that journey. For me, I was just genuinely interested in science and health,” she says.
This September, Hollie celebrated a momentous achievement: graduating from the University of Canberra with a Doctor of Philosophy in Health.
“I didn't expect that I would be here today,” she says.
Back when she was “fresh out of school”, Hollie moved from her hometown of Goulburn to Sydney and enrolled in a biotechnology degree. But following some self-reflection, she decided to switch study paths.
“After thinking a bit more about my direction and wanting to get a bit closer to home, I came to UC,” says Hollie. “I wanted to do a Bachelor of Science to figure out where I wanted to be in the health space.”
It wasn’t until Hollie’s final year of her undergraduate degree that she started to think about a career in research. “We had the opportunity to do a research project unit, and that set up my path going forward”, she says.”
After completing an Honours year, Hollie knew that she’d made the right decision – “I thought I could give this more of a crack and commit to a PhD,” she says.
And she had a great idea of how her work could make a difference.
“I've always been a bit driven to the cardiovascular side, because I have a family history of cardiovascular diseases,” says Hollie. “It was an area that I wanted to understand more, in order to make some sort of impact.”
Hollie’s PhD investigated the physiological changes that ageing causes in our cardiovascular systems, and how that can impact the development of conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
“Essentially, my PhD looked at understanding cardiovascular health, particularly with advancing age,” says Hollie.
One aspect of her research involved investigating traditional risk factors – these include high cholesterol levels, hypertension, family history and increasing age.
Along with examining these risk factors in combination, Hollie looked at novel risk factors, like the presence of certain molecules in blood vessels, and what they can tell us about cardiovascular health.
She began her research in 2020 – and while the pandemic put a dampener on her plans for a full clinical trial, Hollie worked through the challenging circumstances. Her thesis culminated in a pilot study involving ten participants, which was carried out under clinical supervision at the UC Health Hub and the Faculty of Health Research Clinic.
The clinical work involved a highly intricate – but minimally invasive – procedure for participants.
“We inserted a really tiny probe into the thigh muscle to collect molecules from the surrounding fluid. That gives an idea of the bigger vascular story, looking at the blood flow within the muscle and surrounding tissues,” she says.
Hollie’s PhD also examined nutritional and exercise intervention strategies that various populations can use to improve their CVD risk profiles, as “typically, people who don't participate in physical activity and exercise are at a greater risk of developing hypertension and cardiovascular diseases”.
A recurrent theme that came up in Hollie’s research was the extent of sex-based differences in the risk factors. “That's led to my research area of interest at the moment, which is exploring a bit more about cardiovascular ageing in women,” she says.
Research shows that the perimenopausal period can change a person’s risk of CVD – but there’s still much more to learn.
“There’s a lot more awareness now about some of those hormonal changes that can impact cardiovascular disease development, but it's definitely an area where there's a lot of disparity in some of the research. That’s been a big driver for me,” Hollie says.
Now a postdoctoral research fellow in the Active Brain Research Group at the UC Research Institute for Sport and Exercise (UCRISE), Hollie is currently assisting with the operations of several externally-funded clinical trials, and is working on a project that focuses on vascular shear stress and cerebral blood flow.
She’s also in the process of applying for a National Heart Foundation postdoctoral Fellowship Grant. “Even if I’m not successful this year, my optimum goal is to secure a grant that will allow me to grow in this space and look at cardiovascular health in women,” she says.
For Hollie, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing her projects come to life. “To actually conduct the project and see the tangible findings is very rewarding – as is working with a lot of really skilled people and having many mentors.”
Hollie credits her PhD supervisors, Professors Andrew McKune and Nenad Naumovski, for their continuing support, along with countless other researchers and peers.
“Since finishing my PhD, it’s been quite eye-opening to experience how supportive people are. Like [Associate Professor in Biomedical Science] Matt Ruttar, who has been a really great mentor for me coming into my postdoc. He’s been really generous with advice about everything from postdoc life to grant writing,” she says.
As Hollie’s research career takes off, she’s surrounded by plenty of role models at UC.
“Seeing people who have gone through these transitions from PhD to postdoc, and seeing them be successful, is really motivating.”
Words by Larissa Fedunik, photos by Liam Budge and supplied.
This September, we celebrate the graduating class of 2024.
Many have overcome challenges with grace and resilience, and all have grown in remarkable ways. We congratulate them on achieving this milestone.
We celebrate those who are already making an impact in their chosen fields, those who have changed careers, and others who have embarked on their postgraduate study path – we look forward to seeing what you achieve as alumni of the University of Canberra.