Alex’s PhD journey in public health and policy

Alexandre San Martim Portes’ PhD journey at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) is one of passion and dedication, showing how a supportive, collaborative environment can shape a career and develop the skills needed to address complex global challenges.

Growing up in Brazil, Alex first developed an interest in how global governance influences domestic policy and regulation while studying for his degree in International Relations. He was particularly interested in how countries in the Global South navigate international norms to deliver public goods. This interest took him to Germany, where he pursued further studies and research on these issues. After a few years of working in education and research, he decided to deepen his knowledge by pursuing a PhD.

While writing his Master’s thesis on intellectual property rights in Latin America, Alex came across Professor Susan Sell’s work. Her analysis of global power dynamics and corporate influence on intellectual property rights agreements deeply resonated with him, inspiring him to reach out to RegNet to pursue his PhD. After speaking with Professor Sell, it was clear that she was not only an outstanding academic but also a kind and approachable individual, making her the ideal supervisor.

Alex’s thesis examined how Latin American countries adapt and transform patent regulations to address public health challenges. It highlights how international agreements, trade partners and transnational corporations can constrain these countries’ policy options. However, his research also highlighted how coalitions of domestic actors—civil society, government and industry—can sometimes overcome these barriers and push for policy change to improve public health outcomes.

From the start of his PhD journey, Alex already had a clear vision of what he wanted to study: exploring the intersection between intellectual property rights and public goods. But just a month into his research, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and intellectual property rights regarding vaccines and medicines became a hot topic a key issue for countries in the Global South. The global crisis allowed him to refine his focus on public health and follow the evolving policy processes around intellectual property rights taking place around the world.

Looking back at his time at RegNet, Alex is thankful for the unique opportunities the School offered, particularly to bring together people from diverse backgrounds. He credits RegNet’s collaborative, interdisciplinary environment with shaping his career.

The diversity of approaches, disciplines and research topics makes RegNet the ideal place to learn and broaden our perspectives. It’s where I learned to tackle policy issues across various domains, both in Australia and internationally.

For prospective students, Alex has simple but valuable advice.

“Make the most of the opportunities to build meaningful partnerships and connect with researchers around the world. Strengthen your research skills, share your knowledge and expand your network—but remember to balance it all. Take time to enjoy the journey and build lasting friendships along the way.”