How Cody’s combining his passion for sport & biomedicine

At just 18, sport-loving Cody Thomson made the move from Nagambie to Melbourne, to study Biomedicine at VU. Thanks to his academic talents, his interest in health, and support from Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit, Cody is now excelling in honours, and looks towards an energising future.

“As a kid growing up in regional Victoria, I was passionate about sport – I was a keen runner and competed in Aussie Rules and cricket.

I knew the science of the human body would be a big part of my career, so I chose a Bachelor of Biomedicine at VU. I specialised in integrative physiology, muscle physiology and exercise. The extensive hands-on learning was one of the best parts of the course.

In the early days, moving far from home and jumping right into city and uni life was challenging.

But I found particularly in first year, the teaching staff were encouraging and approachable, which was so important to my transition from school.

Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit has always been there for me. Student Support Officer Marcus helped me successfully apply for scholarships, and provided ongoing reassurance and advice. I encourage all Indigenous students to access Moondani Balluk.

I’m enjoying discovering more about my Aboriginal history – my family is part of the Wurundjeri tribe of the Kulin nation in Victoria, where several VU campuses are located.

Living on campus at UniLodge Victoria University also helped me to adjust – it was just one minute from class, with my own private study areas. It made me love uni.

Studying with the VU Block Model, I found the biggest advantage was the smaller classes. It made it interactive, easier to get to know people, and gave us more time with the teacher.

I was accepted into honours in 2021 – my thesis examines exercise and its effects on mitochondrial DNA in the blood. It’s cool to look at how our immune response is stimulated during exercise. I’m glad to be contributing to a large body of research that has future implications to discovering more about disorders and human health.

I’d like to pursue postgraduate study; eventually I hope to work in strength and conditioning, perhaps even at an elite sport club.”