Medical Student Research Alliance
Where Ambition Meets Publication.
Our national research collaborative empowers medical students to lead projects from conception to publication, producing high-impact, peer-reviewed articles in leading medical journals without the constraints of formal supervision. Endorsed by leading physicians, academics, and hospital executives, MSRA stands as the premier pathway for students to publish, excel, and shape the future of medicine.
Start your own research project
Traditional research pathways often leave students waiting years to see their names in journal articles, working on projects shaped by their supervisor’s long-term research agendas that may not prioritize timely results for the students themselves. At MSRA, we flip that model. Guided by our expert mentors, our student-led approach empowers you to take the driver’s seat and achieve tangible outcomes — from conference abstracts to awards and publications.
- Take ownership of your work – You decide the scope, direction, and goals of your project. Instead of following along someone else’s research journey, you focus on projects that maximize high-quality, publishable outcomes for you.
- Collaborate on your terms – Work with the peers, clinicians, and mentors you choose. Spread tasks across your team however you like, so your project moves forward faster and more efficiently.
- Work to your own schedule – No more waiting on someone else’s timeline. Conduct your project at your own pace, balancing research alongside your clinical studies and other commitments.
By breaking away from rigid academic hierarchies, MSRA makes research accessible, flexible, and output-driven — so you can build your portfolio early, publish faster, and take control of your academic journey.
Join an ongoing research project
We know not every student has the time or capacity to commit to starting a project from scratch. That’s why MSRA also offers the opportunity to contribute to ongoing studies led by other students. This pathway lets you gain experience, build skills, and secure research outputs — even if you’re not ready to lead a project of your own just yet.
- Step into an active project – Contribute to data collection, analysis, writing, or presenting on projects that are already underway and designed to deliver publishable results.
- Learn alongside others – Work with peers and mentors who can guide you through the process and show you what goes into producing quality research.
By joining an existing project, you can still strengthen your portfolio, gain co-authorships, and prepare yourself to eventually lead a project when the timing is right.
Please note that positions in ongoing projects are extremely limited, and most applicants will not be contacted. We highly recommend applying to start your own research project if you are able to.
Mentorship and Collaboration
At MSRA, medical students don’t work in isolation. We partner closely with graduate research students and postdoctoral fellows, creating a dynamic peer-driven ecosystem where knowledge flows in both directions.
Medical students benefit from structured mentorship throughout the research journey, developing skills in study design, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. Graduate research students and postdoctoral fellows, in turn, strengthen their leadership and supervisory skills, advancing a culture of excellence in student-led medical research.
Networking Opportunities
At MSRA, research is a gateway to the most respected leaders in medicine. Through close collaboration with graduate research students and postdoctoral fellows, medical students develop their ideas into rigorous research protocols that can stand up to expert scrutiny. They then approach senior surgeons and consultant physicians for expertise and guidance, demonstrating initiative and independence that captures the attention of some of the most distinguished figures in medicine.
Importantly, students retain full intellectual ownership of their work while benefiting from mentorship that elevates both the quality and impact of their research. In this way, MSRA projects not only deliver high-impact publications, but also open doors to professional networks that can define a student’s future in medicine.
Projects Initiated in 2025
Safety of Autologous Stem Cell Implantation for Cartilage Lesions in the Knee: A Meta-analysis of Complications, Treatment Failures, and Adverse Events
Cartilage injuries in the knee are challenging to treat, and autologous stem cell therapies have shown promising short-term improvements in pain and function. However, because these treatments are still relatively new, their long-term safety remains unclear. To investigate this, we conducted a meta-analysis of 40 clinical studies reporting post-operative complications, treatment failures, and serious adverse events following stem cell implantation. Overall, adverse outcomes were only reported in 6% of patients, but studies with longer follow-up reported significantly higher failure rates—suggesting early studies may underestimate long-term risks. Most studies also lacked clear definitions of adverse outcomes, contributing to a high risk of reporting bias. These findings indicate that while stem cell therapies appear safe and effective in the short term, robust long-term safety data are needed before they can be considered for regulatory approval and clinical adoption.
This work was recently awarded the ANZORS travel grant for presentation at the 12th International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies Congress (ICORS).
Project lead: Tony Bohan Huang
Tony is an MD-PhD candidate from Melbourne University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. While he officially works as a cartilage tissue engineer, Tony is fascinated by all aspects of orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal research. His research aims to bridge the gap between surgery, engineering, and biology to develop innovative therapies for cartilage repair. Beyond the lab, Tony is passionate about fostering a culture of research among medical students and helping to cultivate the next generation of clinician-scientists.
Endovascular versus Open Surgery Repair in Mycotic Aneurysms of the Thoracic and Abdominal Aorta: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Mycotic aneurysms—rare, dangerous balloon-like infections of the aorta—have traditionally required open surgery, a highly invasive approach with substantial risks. This large meta-analysis pooled data from over 3,700 patients across 105 studies to compare open surgery with a newer, less invasive approach called endovascular repair (EVAR). We found that EVAR achieved comparable short- and mid-term survival (< 3 months) to open surgery while allowing patients to leave hospital a few days earlier. However, EVAR was associated with over twice the risk of future reinterventions, highlighting the importance of careful patient selection. These findings suggest that EVAR can be a life-saving alternative for high-risk patients who may not tolerate major surgery—offering hope and expanding options in a challenging clinical scenario.
This work was recently presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ).
Project lead: Armand Gumera
Armand is a third-year medical student at the University of Melbourne who is deeply engaged in the medical student community. His research centres on producing high-quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, work that plays a significant role in synthesising evidence, identifying knowledge gaps, and guiding best practice in fields where clinical decisions carry profound implications for patient outcomes.
Mapping Disruptions to Brain Connectivity in Alzheimer’s Disease Across the Lifespan
Current research in Alzheimer’s disease increasingly highlights the brain’s network architecture as a key to understanding why symptoms develop and progress across the lifespan. Rather than viewing pathology as isolated regional damage, our team investigates whether Alzheimer’s disease preferentially disrupts the brain’s rich-club hubs, the highly interconnected regions that act as centres for information flow, and whether the earliest detectable failure differs by age of onset and by mode of connectivity. Using EEG, we will derive graph theoretic metrics from model-based connectivity measures. These metrics quantify how much activity in one hub helps predict activity in another, enabling us to produce interpretable, age-aware biomarkers. By stratifying patients by age of onset, we aim to uncover distinct patterns of network disruption that may explain Alzheimer’s complex symptoms and offer new avenues for personalised diagnostics and targeted interventions.
Project lead: Dr. Pholpat Durongbhan
Dr. Durongbhan is a postdoctoral researcher at the intersection of engineering, biomedicine, and computer science. He specializes in developing quantitative image analysis tools to enable reproducible and high-precision biomedical assessments. With broad interests spanning diverse imaging modalities and clinical domains, he is eager to collaborate on projects that deepen our understanding of disease mechanisms and enhance medical diagnostics.
Do Robots Protect Surgeons? A Systematic Review of Ergonomic Risks in Robotic and Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery
The adoption of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery has improved patient outcomes but has inadvertently increased the risk of occupational injuries among surgeons. Musculoskeletal injuries are highly prevalent, with up to 66% of bariatric surgeons reporting work-related injuries. Evidence suggests that robotic surgery may reduce musculoskeletal strain and workload compared to laparoscopic surgery. However, the comparative ergonomic risks and injury profiles of bariatric surgeons performing both robotic and laparoscopic procedures remain largely unexplored. Given the rising demand for bariatric surgery in high-income countries, evaluating the ergonomic implications of different surgical approaches is essential to inform best practices and safeguard surgeon well-being.
Project lead: Eeman Atif
Eeman is a third-year medical student at the University of Melbourne who is passionate about improving both patient care and surgeon well-being. She combines her interest in surgery with translational research, working in the Gastrointestinal Translational Research Laboratory to study intestinal metaplasia and help bring molecular discoveries closer to clinical impact.
Postoperative White Cell Count as a Prognostic Biomarker in Elderly Patients Undergoing Early Total Hip Replacement
Elderly patients undergoing early orthopaedic intervention, particularly total hip replacement following fragility fractures, face significant risks of morbidity and mortality despite modern advances in perioperative care. The immediate postoperative period in the intensive care unit (ICU) represents a critical phase in which inflammatory and immune responses may strongly influence survival. White cell count (WCC), an inexpensive and universally available biomarker, may serve as an early signal of adverse outcomes, yet its prognostic role remains poorly defined in this setting. This binational multicentre study will investigate the association between postoperative WCC, measured within the first 72 hours of ICU admission, and mortality at 30 days, 90 days, and one year in elderly patients undergoing hip replacement. Using robust multivariable modelling adjusted for age, frailty, comorbidities, and validated severity indices (e.g., APACHE III, SOFA), the study will evaluate whether absolute values or dynamic changes in WCC independently predict outcomes. By leveraging large-scale, real-world data across multiple centres and countries, this project seeks to establish WCC as a clinically meaningful prognostic biomarker that could enhance risk stratification, optimise resource allocation, and support shared decision-making for this vulnerable population.
Project lead: Je Min Suh
Je Min is a final-year medical student at the University of Melbourne and incoming junior doctor at Austin Health. An avid researcher with a primary interest in anaesthesia and surgery, his work also spans critical care, transplantation, orthopaedic surgery, and geriatric care. Using advanced statistical modelling on large multinational databases, he has produced peer-reviewed publications, presented at national and international conferences, and received several academic awards for his research contributions.
