From Immersion to Innovation: How a Hands-On Experience Sparked Alanna Sorenson’s Biomedical Career

For Dr Alanna Sorenson, a biomedical scientist and senior lecturer in molecular and cell biology at James Cook University (JCU), the path to a fulfilling career in research and teaching began with a single event—a high school immersion experience held at the same university where she now works.

As a high school student, Alanna was unsure of her future. She toyed with the idea of studying astrophysics at QUT, but a visit to JCU’s Biomedical Science Immersion Program changed everything. “Biomed just had a bit of everything,” she recalls. “Anatomy, microbiology, biochemistry—it all clicked. It seemed like a good fit.”

That one immersive experience opened the door to biomedicine and Alanna has never looked back. She went on to complete her Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at JCU, followed by Honours and a PhD focusing on Q fever, a disease affecting both humans and animals. She later undertook postdoctoral research in drug discovery, and in 2018, became a lecturer at the very university where it all began.

Today, Alanna balances her time between lecturing and research, a mix she finds both challenging and rewarding. “I’ve always been quite introverted, so lecturing to a big theatre isn’t my favourite thing,” she says. “But I really enjoy practicals—being in the lab with students, showing them how it all works.”

Alanna’s working week is interesting and varied, just how she likes it. “I’m usually juggling multiple projects. Some of my work involves fluorescent proteins, which we use as a biosensor to detect things like temperature, heavy metals or biological activity,” she says.

“Fluorescent proteins glow when exposed to certain light … the fluorescent glow makes it easy to track and measure biological processes.”

A biomedical degree can take graduates and many different paths, according to Alanna. She knows of graduates who work in laboratories, in research, other areas of health and even science journalism.

Alanna is also passionate about showing others what a career in biomedical science can look like—especially high school students who, like her younger self, may not know what options are out there. She plays a key role in JCU’s Biomedical Science Immersion Experience, a hands-on program where students explore biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, anatomy, and more.

“We run real lab activities—blood grouping, fruit fly genetics, fluorescent protein demos,” she says. “It gives students a taste of what biomedical science involves. You just don’t know these careers exist unless you’re exposed to them.”

Alanna’s journey from high school student to biomedical lecturer is a testament to the power of early exposure, practical experience, and following your curiosity. “Biomed can take you in so many directions,” she says. “For some it’s a pathway to medicine or dentistry; for others, it leads to research, diagnostics, or even science communication. It’s a degree that opens doors.”