Dr Brindha Shivalingam, 42, 'I've gone from war to land of opportunity'

From war to a land of opportunity

I was only 11 when the Sri Lankan civil war started in 1983. One day, I was living a normal childhood, the next there were riots and there was death everywhere. It was a horrific experience but luckily my family and I managed to escape and spent time in a Sri Lankan refugee camp until friends took us in. A year later, my parents applied to come to Australia and we were accepted as refugees. Thankfully Mum and Dad’s education was recognised and they found jobs, which helped our family start a new life. I already spoke English so high school wasn’t too much of a culture shock. In fact, it was exciting, because I slowly realised how many more opportunities there were for me here.

Realising my medical dream

Even as a teenager I was fascinated with how the brain works and thought I’d go into research. Once I was in med school, though, I knew I had to be a doctor. But it was even more challenging than I’d expected because 99% of the people studying—and all the surgeons at the time—were men. I didn’t let it hold me back, even though some of the older men had strong opinions about my place there. One even told me that, if I wanted to be a mother, then I shouldn’t be a surgeon. I’ve never been happier to prove someone wrong! I fell pregnant with my first child at 25. I refused to compromise on either my career or motherhood, and had another baby four years later.

Why the future’s filled with hope

When I decided to specialise in neurosurgery I discovered it was different and I was welcomed every step of the way. These days, I’m still in the minority as women only make up 9% of neurosurgeons in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. But despite the fact I work hard, I’m driven by an unwavering passion and, without a doubt, love my work as much as I ever did. I’m especially proud of establishing Brainstorm at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a program focused on brain cancer research. It’s still early days but I’m hoping to make a real difference and have never felt more optimistic about the future.

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