Student profiles: Graduate

Tam Nguyen
PhD candidate

Tam Nguyen is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering supervised by Marcus Pandy and Richard Baker. He has recently returned from a 3 weeks teaching biomechanics in Cambodia. This project is supported by Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and The Cambodia Trust.

After graduating with a double degree in science and biomedical engineering from Flinders University Tam joined the team at the Hugh William Gait Laboratory as a biomedical engineer in 2000. This is a unique facility within the Royal Children's Hospital where a team of engineers, physiotherapists and surgeons work collaboratively to understand walking problems in children and how best to rectify them.

Tam's research interest is in the area of clinical gait analysis with the current research focus on the upper body motion during walking and the overall uncertainty and sensitivity analysis in biomechanical modelling of gait.

He currently holds the NHMRC's Dora Lush Biomedical Postgraduate Scholarship and his PhD research is supervised by Prof Marcus Pandy and Dr Richard Baker. Tam enjoyed being a full time student again and believed that Melbourne University has all the essential factors for an excellent postgraduate program and exciting future career opportunities.

Tam has a strong interest in sustainable development and appropriate technology in developing countries. He is a founding member of Hands for Hope Inc., a non-profit organisation in Victoria helping disadvantaged children in Vietnam. He also serves on the board of Engineers Without Borders, International Young Professional Foundation, and on the Council of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne.

Tam has recently been acknowledged on the Most Inspiring Young Engineers in Australia list for 2005.