NECTAR Custodians
The NECTAR Custodians are the ECA-leadership of NECTAR, they are volunteers who actively participate in the development and delivery of NECTAR initiatives. The Custodian team ensures that NECTAR remains an independent, accessible and supportive space for ECAs who want to make a difference. The team of Custodians is led by the NECTAR Co-Chairs.
The role of the Custodians is to:
- regularly engage with NECTAR, e.g. attend NECTAR business meetings
- contribute to the development and delivery of NECTAR initiatives
- help promote NECTAR initiatives within the ANU Colleges.
The Custodian role is a voluntary role. ECAs can join the Custodian team at any time and for as long as they want, a commitment for at least 6 months is encouraged. Custodians are encouraged to take on the role of School Representative for their local area.
If you would like to join the Custodian team, please contact the NECTAR Office or submit your Expression of Interest here.
Mehdi Rajabi Asadabadi
ANU College of Business and Economics
Research School of Management
Dr. Mehdi Rajabi Asadabadi is a Researcher at the Australian National University. As a researcher, Mehdi looks at expanding knowledge on project and operations management. He does this by introducing real-world problems to the literature and providing novel solutions to them. More particularly, Mehdi is interested to develop and apply innovative operational research tools and techniques in order to address complex real-world problems. Mehdi has worked on common problems in government projects spanning from requirement specification to project benefits management. He also looks at the role of data mining in enhancing decision quality in organisations.
Amita Bansal
ANU College of Health and Medicine
John Curtin School of Medical Research and ANU Medical School
NECTAR is a platform that empowers ECAs from across different schools and colleges of ANU to come together and contribute to the strategic discussions on fostering academic and personal development, enhancing representation of ECAs across campuses, and nestle a sense of community. I am humbled to be a part of this diverse and inclusive group, and with my academic training and experience from Scotland, New Zealand and United States, I hope to provide an international perspective and help in collectively achieving the objectives of NECTAR. Further, with my recent appointment as a University House ECA Fellow, I also hope to continue strengthening the cross-talk between the two groups.
Xuan Di
ANU College of Health and Medicine
Research School of Psychology
I have some HR experience and worked in non-profit organisation management for some years before deciding to pin my career focus to academia. I have experienced the life of an ECA (PhD candidate) as a mother of two – it's not easy. But it is possible because of people who care for me and look after me. I want to return the favour by making the voice of others heard and finding solutions to make improvements.
Mari Kondo – NECTAR Co-Chair
ANU College of Health and Medicine
John Curtin School of Medical Research
Jo Lane
ANU College of Health and Medicine
Research School of Population Health
Jo is a research fellow and clinical psychologist, working with a multidisciplinary team of researchers across the Australian National University on the Our Health in Our Hands project to improve the quality of life of people living with multiple sclerosis. Her research interests intersect across psychology, health research, population health, translational research, personalised medicine and communication in science. Jo is passionate about people, optimal brain health, wellbeing, resilience, growth, empowerment-based leadership and gender equity.
Bin Lu – NECTAR Co-Chair
ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science
Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering
Hieu Nguyen – NECTAR Co-Chair
ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science
Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering
Yuan (Helen) Ping
ANU College of Business and Economics
ANU Research School of Accounting
Helen is currently an Associate Lecturer and PhD candidate at the ANU Research School of Accounting, College of Business and Economics. She had a great experience with the NECTAR Mentoring Program in 2020 and wishes to promote the networking opportunities provided by NECTAR to other early career academics.
Victor Rivera
ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science
Research School of Computer Science
Ulrike Schumann
ANU College of Health and Medicine
John Curtin School of Medical Research
For me, NECTAR is a fantastic way to connect to Early Career Researchers and build a support network. I have faced some challenging times and the NECTAR Mentoring program has been crucial for me to come through those. I feel passionate about advocating the opportunities that NECTAR offers and I want to give a voice to Early Career Researchers and help streamline those opportunities.
Nikolay Shirokikh
ANU College of Health and Medicine
John Curtin School of Medical Research
Nikolay is a molecular biologist and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at JCSMR and College of Health and Medicine. Appreciative of the challenges but also dynamic and vibrant academic life of Early-Mid Career Researchers (EMCRs), one of Nikolay’s main aims at NECTAR is to enhance existing and create new opportunities for ANU EMCRs
Kai Zhang – NECTAR Co-Chair
ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
School of Culture, History and Language
NECTAR Advisers
NECTAR Advisers are former Custodians who remain connected with the NECTAR leadership in an advisory capacity.
Aditya Chopra
ANU College of Science
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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