Originally from Indonesia, Zahrina Mardina did two Master’s, one in Belgium and one in The Netherlands, before coming to Australia. She is currently two and a half years into her doctoral studies program at UQ.

Zahrina tutors the Anatomy and Physiology class at St John’s which is typically taken by medical, nursing and midwifery students. This is not her first-time teaching; she was previously a lecturer at her home university in Indonesia. She will continue lecturing there after graduation.

She admits the subject she tutors is intense because it is a foundational course with lots of terms to memorise. Zahrina emphasises explaining how organs function and connect to one another to help students remember them.

She also uses analogies often. For instance, when explaining how insulin works, she describes it as, “similar to a door. A key opens the door. Insulin is the key that opens up our muscle and fat cells to take in glucose.”

In past roles, Zahrina has completed research in both orthopaedic surgery and cardiac surgery. She often brings this experience into her teaching, something her students appreciate.

When she’s not tutoring at St John’s or completing her PhD research on creating biodegradable implants, Zahrina enjoys watching Korean dramas. She was also the 2022 Three Minute Thesis Winner at UQ.