Back L to R – Sai Guan, Nathan Choi, Phuoc Thang Dao
Front L to R – Kayla Purnomo, Fatimah Alzainaldain, Kushani Thanippuli, Sumaiyah Qureshi
Cancer Council Victoria are pleased to announce the 2026 cohort of Master’s students joining the Cancer Epidemiology Division. Students will gain experience with hands-on epidemiological research by completing a research capstone project during the final year of their degrees. The students are supervised by Cancer Epidemiology Division researchers, who provide support and mentorship to enable the students to develop their research skills. The research capstone experience is integral to their future careers in epidemiology and public health. The students will explore a wide range of topics, and generate evidence that will help address real-world public health issues.
Student research projects use Cancer Epidemiology Division studies such as the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS) and the Australian Breakthrough Cancer (ABC) Study, which provide rich long‑term health data from tens of thousands of Australians. Some student projects also draw on the Diet and Cancer Pooling Project, a consortium that pools data from 24 international studies, allowing researchers to detect patterns that smaller studies cannot.
During their time with the Cancer Epidemiology Division, the students will cultivate important skills in data analysis, statistical methods, interpretation of results, critical thinking as well as written and oral communication. Importantly, collaboration and teamwork are emphasised, creating a learning environment where students can share ideas and learn from one another. Cancer Council Victoria is happy to help shape the next generation of the public health workforce.