Fellowship Placements

‘I spent three years at the UNSW CEPAR node as a Senior Research Associate after my PhD in Actuarial Science from the Université Catholique de Louvain. I left CEPAR to take up a position as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics, Econometrics and Finance at the University of Groningen. In October 2019 I accepted a position as a tenured Professor of Actuarial Science at the Department of Mathematics of Université Libre de Bruxelles.
My post-doctoral experience at CEPAR was paramount to the development of my early career.  In my role, I was able to focus on groundbreaking research on both the quantitative and behavioral aspects of retirement income product design. Whilst research-focused, I was able to learn crucial academic skills by doing casual lecturing, post-graduate student supervision, as well as administration. I’m convinced this broad experience allowed me to land my subsequent academic positions. I would strongly recommend CEPAR for freshly graduated PhDs as it provides an excellent environment for career development. As a Senior Research Associate you are surrounded by highly motivated researchers and academics who produce high-impact research and who push you to thrive as well.’

Professor Jennifer Alonso García

'I was a Research Fellow funded by CEPAR from Feb 2012 to Feb 2016. Working at CEPAR provided me with an excellent opportunity to work in a collaborative environment with experts in the Ageing field. It was an enjoyable and rewarding experience that provided me with opportunities in research, training, funding support, and a range of engagement experiences with academic leaders. I expanded my research areas whilst at CEPAR and this provided me with a good track record and the ability to apply for higher academic positions to progress in my career. I am currently an Associate Professor at The University of Sydney but have kept my affiliation with CEPAR as an Associate Investigator with a research lead in supervising PhD students.'

Associate Professor Vasant Hirani, The University of Sydney

‘I was a Senior Research Fellow at CEPAR from 2013-2016 prior to accepting a senior lectureship at the Australian National University (ANU). I am now a Professor of Economics at ANU and an ARC Future Fellow. I owe my success in part to the excellent research environment at CEPAR and the great colleagues I had there. Working within the research program led by Professor Michael Keane I was able to both strengthen my research skills, be exposed to the world renowned scholars in my field, and grow the network of international collaborations.’

Professor Fedor Iskhakov, ANU

‘I joined CEPAR after working for one year as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. The resources available at the Centre were tremendous; the Centre focused on career development for researchers which is supported by seminars, mentoring workshops, collaborative opportunities across different research groups as well as ample opportunities for training and skill development. Besides top research facilities, the Centre offered a friendly atmosphere and social events such as the Annual Workshop and End of Year celebrations. As a Research Fellow, I felt extremely privileged to work alongside world-leading experts and to be able to contribute to high-quality, impactful scientific research.’

Dr Saman Khalatbari-Soltani, Senior Lecturer, The University of Sydney

‘I was a Research Fellow at CEPAR from 2013-2015 prior to accepting a tenure-track assistant professor position at York University, Canada. In late 2018 I joined the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies at UNSW as a Senior Lecturer. Working in CEPAR was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The Centre provided a first-class research environment, generous funding support, and numerous engagement opportunities with industry and academic leaders. CEPAR also helped me gain teaching skills through the university’s professional development resources, which has been beneficial to my long-term career goal. My 2-year experience at CEPAR  laid a solid foundation for my success in the 2020 Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme. I highly recommend talented emerging researchers to join CEPAR as a means to building their research profile and developing an international and multidisciplinary research network.’ 

Dr Yang Shen, UNSW Sydney