PhD in Biotechnology (Vaccinology)
Swati was awarded her PhD in Biotechnology (Influenza Vaccine Development) in 2026. Her doctoral research was funded by Vicebio Ltd (later acquired by the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi in a deal valued at up to US$1.6 billion, marking the largest-ever agreement involving a company commercializing intellectual property) from the Chappell Lab at The University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). She was a recipient of the UQ Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend, the UQ Research Training Program Tuition Fee Offset, and the Entrepreneurial Scholar PhD Top-up Scholarship. She was also the winner of the “Most Creative 3-Minute Pitch” award at the AIBN ASA Symposium.
During her PhD, she served as a UQ Giving Day 2022 Ambassador. In 2022, she became the first Entrepreneurial PhD candidate to undertake the UQ Ventures × Liveris Academy industry placement in Singapore, where she gained firsthand experience within the Singapore startup ecosystem. Her experience led to a significant invitation from the then Interim Queensland Chief Scientist, Professor Bronwyn Harch (FTSE, FQA), to serve as a panel member at the Queensland Science Festival (2023), funded by Sanofi. She participated alongside distinguished professionals, including the late Iris Dopaz (Country Medical Lead), Professor Nigel McMillan, and Luke Reid, where she shared insights on the startup ecosystem and how its strengths could be translated to Queensland. She later served as a panel member for IMB Training Week (2023), inspiring PhD students to pursue industry placements. In the scientific domain, she contributed to research that resulted in a Nature publication related to mRNA vaccines. Her major project focused on the development of novel Clamp2-stabilized seasonal influenza vaccines, involving a comparative evaluation of protein subunit and mRNA platforms against commercially available vaccines. This research is currently confidential and not publicly accessible due to commercial sensitivity at Vicebio Ltd.
Overall, Swati’s PhD journey has shaped her into a well-rounded scientist with a strong translational mindset, which she intends to carry forward throughout her career.Beyond science, Swati enjoys painting and writing poetry. If you would like to connect with Dr. Swati Singh, please reach out to her on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn: Swati Singh
