Rate My Professor Hendrika Duivenvoorden

Dr. Hendrika Duivenvoorden (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, at Monash University. She serves as the Course Coordinator for the Master of Genome Analytics and teaches Foundations of Genetics and Human Genetics units delivered to students in both the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. She acts as chief examiner and co-unit coordinator for Human Genetics. Duivenvoorden earned her PhD in Biochemistry from La Trobe University, with a thesis titled 'The role of myoepithelial proteins in blocking breast cancer progression.' She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from La Trobe University. Prior to her current role, she was associated with the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science.

Duivenvoorden is an education-focused academic whose research investigates the use of inclusive language and practices surrounding sex and gender in science education, improving the student experience, and creating engaging teaching resources. Her project revealed that many LGBTQIA+ students felt unsafe in science classrooms, leading to the development of guidelines on inclusive practices that have been shared across Monash University and externally. Key publications include 'Investigating the Role of Heparanase in Breast Cancer Development Utilising the MMTV-PyMT Murine Model of Mammary Carcinoma' (Jayatilleke et al., Cancers, 2023), 'Threshold Concepts in Biochemistry' (Pakay et al., 2023), 'High-content siRNA 3D co-cultures to identify myoepithelial cell-derived breast cancer suppressor proteins' (Duivenvoorden et al., Scientific Data, 2021), 'Integrating commercially available industry-relevant software in the education of genome variant curation at the Masters level' (Duivenvoorden et al., 2023), and 'Investigating the use of inclusive language surrounding sex and gender in Science teaching' (Kakavas et al., 2023). She has received the Dean's Award for Diversity and Inclusion in Education 2025 in the Science category, the 2021 Dean's Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, and the Higher Education Academy Fellowship in 2021. Her contributions align with UN Sustainable Development Goals including Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Reduced Inequalities.