ABACBS & COMBINE Mentorship Program

Connecting Emerging Researchers with the Bioinformatics Community

The ABACBS & COMBINE Mentorship Program provides students and early-career researchers with the opportunity to connect with experienced bioinformaticians from academia and industry. The program aims to foster professional growth, career development, networking, and community engagement within the bioinformatics and computational biology community.

Through structured mentorship, participants gain guidance, support, and insight into academic and industry career pathways while building lasting professional connections.

Program Overview

The mentorship program was established to create a supportive environment where mentees can seek advice, direction, and encouragement from experienced professionals in bioinformatics and computational biology.

Mentoring relationships are designed to be collaborative and mutually beneficial. Mentors share their experiences, career journeys, and professional insights, while mentees actively guide the relationship by identifying their goals, interests, and areas for development.

The program encourages:

  • Professional development

  • Career exploration

  • Networking opportunities

  • Confidence building

  • Knowledge sharing

  • Community engagement

Who Can Participate?

Mentees. The program welcomes:

  • Undergraduate students

  • Honours, Masters, and PhD students

  • Early-career researchers

  • Individuals transitioning into bioinformatics or computational biology

Mentors. Mentors include experienced professionals from:

  • Academia

  • Research institutes

  • Healthcare

  • Biotechnology and industry sectors

Mentors provide guidance on career development, research pathways, technical skills, and professional growth.

How the Program Works

Participants are matched based on their research interests, career goals, and professional backgrounds.

The mentorship program typically includes:

  • Regular mentor-mentee meetings

  • Flexible online or in person communication

  • Career guidance and professional support

  • Networking opportunities within the bioinformatics community

Mentorship relationships are mentee-driven, allowing participants to tailor discussions and goals according to their individual needs and interests.

Annual Program Activities

Meet & Greet Session (February)

At the beginning of each intake year, mentors and mentees participate in an online Meet & Greet session designed to:

  • Introduce participants

  • Establish mentorship expectations

  • Provide guidance for successful mentoring relationships

  • Encourage networking across institutions and career stages

Career Q&A Sessions (May and September)

The program hosts two Career Q&A Sessions each year featuring invited academic researchers and industry professionals.

These sessions provide opportunities for participants to discuss topics such as:

  • Academic career pathways

  • Transitioning into industry

  • Leadership and professional growth

  • Research challenges and opportunities

  • Networking and collaboration

  • Career progression and higher roles

The sessions also allow emerging academic researchers and industry leaders to give back to the community and gain recognition by sharing their success stories and lessons learned along the way.

Program Impact

The ABACBS & COMBINE Mentorship Program has contributed to strengthening connections across the Australian bioinformatics community. The program has supported a total of 59 mentors and 105 mentees since 2023 with participants also joining from the US, Europe and Malaysia.

Participants have reported:

  • Increased confidence in career planning

  • Expanded professional networks

  • Improved understanding of academic and industry pathways

  • Greater engagement with the bioinformatics community

Many participants recommend the program to peers and continue professional relationships beyond the formal mentorship period.

The mentorship program helped me feel more confident about exploring different career pathways within bioinformatics. — PhD Student, Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine

I appreciated the honest conversations around academic careers, industry transitions, and the challenges researchers commonly face. — PhD Candidate, Transcriptomics

The advice shared during the Q&A sessions made career progression feel more approachable and achievable. — Masters Student, Computational Biology

Join us!

Would you like to become a mentee or mentor for the program? Fill in the form attached and we’ll get back to you when our next intake opens.


Program coordinators

Giulia Iacono (2024-current)