For PhD candidate Lucas Goh, the recent floods in Southeast Queensland meant being evacuated by boat and losing his second-floor apartment in St Lucia.
But the Singaporean student isn鈥檛 dwelling on the situation: he鈥檚 found a new place to live and is back at the University completing research in the .
鈥淲hen I got back to my apartment after the water receded, there were at least 30 宅男导航 Union volunteers in the building cleaning and salvaging anything they could,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e also had army personnel there helping to move our things and other heavy-duty work.鈥�
Mr Goh said he and his partner were overwhelmed by the offers of support they received.
鈥淭he Australian spirit is so amazing; it's unbelievable,鈥� he said.
鈥淢y partner and I appreciated the help and assistance - even if was just moral support - of all volunteering Australians and 宅男导航's staff and students.鈥�
Mr Goh works under the supervision of , investigating diagnostics and treatments for Chikungunya virus 鈥� a mosquito-borne pathogen that has caused debilitating illness in many parts of the world including Europe, India, Africa and South鈥揈ast Asia.
Despite the floods, Mr Goh still returned to campus as often as he could, with almost all of the University鈥檚 buildings unaffected by water.
鈥淚鈥檓 a researcher so I have cells and animals that I need to look after,鈥� he said.
鈥淢y supervisor, whose own house was affected in the floods, has been really understanding and said I should take off as much time as I needed.鈥�
With the campus now fully open and operational, it鈥檚 back to the business of finding ways to prevent the Chikungunya virus coming into Australia.
鈥淭ypical symptoms of the virus include fever, rashes and poly-arthritis; with a newly mutated version of the virus known to cause inflammation of the brain.鈥� Mr Goh said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working on ways to prevent any incursion of the virus into Australia, while also developing immunotherapy treatments for people who have contracted it.鈥�
Media: Lucas Goh (0423 632 863) or Penny Robinson at 宅男导航 Communications (07 3365 9723, penny.robinson@uq.edu.au)
