Susan Luong

What are your qualifications prior to this degree? 
Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry-Forensic Science (Honours)

Supervisors: Dr Shanlin Fu

Project title: Searching for Potential Markers for Monitoring the Presence of Opiates in Urine Exposed to Oxidising Adulterants

Describe your research project
The goal of my research is to develop confirmatory methods for the detection of heroin-related opiates in adulterated specimens. These methods can potentially be implemented in drug testing laboratories (if successful) as a measure for overcoming the issue of urine adulteration; a practice that occurs around the world and in Australia. However no proper solution has been put in place to overcome this problem at the point of specimen analysis.

The use of urine as a means of detecting both licit and illicit drug use is a familiar and long implemented protocol in the realm of drug testing. Significant repercussions exist if it is found that an individual is guilty of using a prohibited drug.

Drug users are motivated to discover and utilise ways to circumvent drug testing processes to conceal a positive result by producing a negative result. An effective way of doing so is to purposefully adulterate the urine sample to invalidate the results of the drug test because currently urine samples deemed to be tampered are not processed further as there is no point in monitoring for the drugs of interest when they are not detectable using routine testing methods.

What is the aim of your project?
The objectives of this PhD research were to expose 6-MAM, morphine and codeine in urine to potassium nitrite, pyridinium chlorochromate and hypochlorite to mimic the conditions of adulteration. This allows the identification of stable products formed in the reaction systems to be carried out, which potentially can be used as markers for monitoring heroin abuse in adulterated urine samples.

Why did you choose to pursue a research degree as opposed to going into the work force?
I chose this area of research because it is a combination of analytical chemistry and forensic toxicology, two areas that I enjoyed studying during my undergraduate years. There were three main driving forces behind why I decided to do my PhD- There is more opportunity in the workforce if you have a postgraduate degree.

I also love the avenues of research that can be undertaken and developed when doing a research degree, as opposed to being confined to a routine job. Every day is different. The last reason was because I was not ready to part with the uni life!

What is your daily activity?
Every day is different, however in general, every week involves two or three days in the lab conducting experiments designed to solve problems which arise as the research progresses. The remaining days are spent looking over the data and discussing the results with my very helpful supervisor of what to do next. Then there is the morning coffee, lunch breaks, and snack breaks in between when fatigue hits, with all my fellow PhD colleagues... which is followed by gym activity for all of us, known as 'fat camp' on Fridays  which is then followed by a 'fat lunch'... all the extra calorie consumption never ends.

Also during semester, we usually demonstrate undergraduate lab classes.

What attracted you to research at UTS Science?
I was happy to do my PhD at UTS because I started this project here for Honours, and found it to be an enjoyable experience. The labs are well equipped with state of the art instruments necessary for leading research, and I was lucky enough to have a very knowledgeable and resourceful supervisor who I have a great rapport with. Also, all my friends that chose to do a research degree stayed at UTS, another reason why I was convinced that UTS was the right place for me to do my PhD.

My future
To finish my PhD in another 1-2 years, and follow through to a career in forensic toxicology, although I am still open to other directions.

Hopefully I will get to attend and present at a few more conferences before finishing, but at the moment I'm happy just enjoying the uni life doing the research I love in the company of my friends, because unfortunately it won't last forever!