University of Melbourne signs agreement with TGA

L-R: Professor Jane Gunn AO, Professor Anthony Lawler, Professor Mark Cassidy, Professor Thas Nirmalathas.
L-R: Professor Jane Gunn AO, Professor Anthony Lawler, Professor Mark Cassidy, Professor Thas Nirmalathas.

University of Melbourne students will be able to complete special internships with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), following a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Melbourne. The memorandum formalises a long-standing partnership between the organisations.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Mark Cassidy, joined by the Chief Medical Officer and the Deputy Secretary of the Health Products Regulation Group, Professor Anthony Lawler, signed the agreement on 12 February 2025.

Professor Cassidy said one of the benefits of the agreement will be greater opportunities for students and graduate researchers. Those with an interest in the regulation of medicines, medical devices and other therapeutic goods will have the chance to learn through knowledge exchange, direct observation, and guest lectures from industry.

“I’m delighted about what this agreement will enable us to do in terms of enhancing the exchange of ideas, expertise and perspectives between the TGA and our students and researchers,” Professor Cassidy said.

“It will strengthen our research pipeline, with collaboration on research projects from across our courses, including Advanced Masters, Honours, Masters, PhD and coursework students and, where possible, the TGA will provide co-supervision for the students.”

Professor Lawler said the TGA was committed to offering more work experience and internship programs to University of Melbourne students.

“We hope that this will not only give students experience in a regulatory environment but will also attract the best graduates to join the TGA. The agreement also increases our ability to consult with university experts on new and emerging areas of innovation in therapeutics,” Professor Lawler said.

Also in attendance were Professor Jane Gunn AO, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, and Professor Thas Nirmalathas, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.

Physician trainee in clinical pharmacology at Austin Hospital, Dr Imogen Walpole, works under the guidance of the University’s Drug Evaluation Unit, evaluating new prescription pharmaceutical regulatory submissions for the TGA.

She described the work as an ‘invaluable opportunity’ to learn more about the process of drug regulation, something she said that doctors and clinicians weren’t always well exposed to.

“This is directly applicable to my role as a doctor in providing evidence-based medicine to patients. Working with the TGA has also exposed me to work opportunities that I was not aware were available,” Dr Walpole said.