From venom to victory

19 September 2025

by Preetha Rajendiran
Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences

1. Tell us about your scholarship.

I’m a recipient of the Graduate Research Excellence Scholarship, which covers my tuition and provides a stipend. To me, it’s not just financial support, it’s a huge vote of confidence in my work and potential as a researcher.

2. How does this scholarship support your academic journey and career aspirations?

Living in Selangor isn’t exactly cheap, and without a steady income, it can be stressful to balance life with research. This scholarship took that burden away, giving me the space and freedom to focus on my PhD. It feels like having the ground beneath me steady, so I can keep reaching higher.

3. What motivated you to apply for this scholarship and pursue your current field of study?

The biggest motivation was financial. My parents have already supported me through my undergraduate and postgraduate studies, and I didn’t want to add the burden of a PhD tuition fee onto them. This scholarship gave me the independence to continue my journey without that worry. Plus, during my postgraduate study at Monash University Malaysia, I achieved an H1 Grade and managed to publish a paper, so I felt I’d be a strong candidate. My postgraduate study was in genomics, and I thought moving into proteomics would be the perfect next step. On top of that, working with snake venom is equally fascinating and thrilling. It’s science with a little bit of adventure. Side note: It is really fun to tell people that I work with snakes.

4. In what ways has the scholarship played a role in shaping your overall university experience?

I know how competitive this scholarship is, which has pushed me to work harder, not just for myself but in honour of the opportunity I’ve been given. It has shaped me into a more driven and responsible researcher. Plus, having a Monash certificate at the end of my PhD will certainly help my chances of applying globally.

5. Are there specific challenges or milestones that stand out as crucial to your growth, and how have you worked through them?

After my undergraduate degree, I spent months trying to land a job, but there was nothing much besides sales for a biomedical graduate back then. Although sales is a good career path, I was never too keen on that. That period of my life really made me question my future and what I want it to look like. Another challenge I faced was during my PhD, when a four-month experiment completely failed. At the time, I was devastated, but eventually I reframed it as a slight hiccup in the bigger journey. My PhD has taught me that failure isn’t the end, it’s just troubleshooting. That shift in mindset has been one of the biggest milestones in my growth.

6. Can you share about your current research project? What problem are you addressing, and why does it matter?

I’m working on developing a broad-spectrum antivenom that targets both cobras and vipers,  the two most common snakes in Malaysia. Current antivenoms are very species-specific, meaning the wrong one won’t work, and valuable time can be lost. My research aims to create a more universal solution, so that doctors and rural clinics won’t have to guess which vial to use in an emergency. It’s about saving time, saving costs, and ultimately saving lives.

7. How do you hope your research will contribute to your field, community, or society at large?

I hope this approach to antivenom research lays the foundation for a universal snake antivenom that works regardless of the snake species. For communities in rural areas, this could be life-changing. Clinics could stock a single antivenom and treat patients immediately, without worrying about matching the snake to the serum.

8. What advice would you give to students who are thinking about applying for scholarships or starting their own research projects?

First, choose a field or topic you’re genuinely passionate about, as you’ll be spending years on it, so it needs to excite you. Next, apply for every scholarship you can find, even if you think you might not qualify, because you never know what could happen. And finally, get to know your potential supervisors and lab mates; the right team makes all the difference in whether your research journey is smooth, supportive, and enjoyable.

More scholarship opportunities are available here.