EM/ProfStella Valenzuela

Stella Valenzuela was awarded her PhD from the University of NSW, and has extensive research experience in the field of cell biology, ion channels and membrane-associated proteins. She was the first to identify and characterise the protein NCC27 (now referred to as CLIC1) following the screening of a subtraction cDNA library for novel genes involved in macrophage activation. Her work demonstrated that CLIC1 was a novel nuclear chloride ion channel protein, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (1997). Her project also resulted in identification of a novel cytokine, MIC-1, published in PNAS, 1997. Since then she has demonstrated that CLIC1 was ubiquitously expressed in humans and involved in regulation of the cell cycle (J Physiol, 2000). This was followed by determination of the crystal structure of the soluble form of CLIC1 at 1.4 å resolution, in collaboration with Prof Paul Curmi team (JBC, 2001).

Most recently, her research team have demonstrated for the first time that members of the CLIC family have oxidoreductase enzymatic activity, in addition to being ion channels (PLOS ONE 2015 and Nature Communications 2017). Her group are also leading studies into the regulation of CLIC proteins by sterols. This work is applying tethered membrane technologies in collaboration with her industry partner, Surgical Diagnostics P/L along with neutron and X-ray reflectometry studies in collaboration with Dr Holt, at the BRAGG Institute, ANSTO.

Prof Valenzuela served as Director of the IDEAL Research Hub, funded by the Australian Research Council. The IDEAL Hub's mission was to bring together academic researchers and industry partners to focus on improving the sensitivity, selectivity, speed and cost-effectiveness of detecting at low levels in order to develop the next generation of diagnostic and testing devices.

Prof Valenzuela is recognised as one of the University's leading Nanobiotechnology researchers. Her work with gold nanoparticles has potential application in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases by targeting and regulating macrophage cells. Working with Professor Cortie from the Institute of Nanoscale Technologies at UTS, they successfully demonstrated the first selective targeting and killing of disease-causing protozoans by photothermal treatment with antibody conjugated gold nanoparticles. Her work with Dr Hui Chen has demonstrated a role for gold nanoparticles in the regulation of obesity and metabolic disorders (PLOS ONE, 2013 and Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2018) .

Current & Former Lab Group Members:

Supervisor for Graduated PhD students: Dr Dakrong Pissuwan; Dr Heba Al Khamici; Dr Jane Ng; Dr K Rufaka Hossain; Dr Amani Alghalayini; Dr Hala Ali; Dr Claudia D'Amario; Dr Daniel Turkewitz; Dr Mohammad Pourhassan; Dr India Boyton

Co-supervisor for graduated PhD students : Dr Kanthi Lewis; Dr Joshua Chou; Dr Joana Santos; Dr Kerem Bray; Dr Yinghui (Yvonne) Chen; Dr Kirsty Milner; Dr Ipek Karacan; 

Current PhD Supervisor for:  Ms Wendy El Khoury
Current PhD Co-supervisor for: Ms Camilla Gazzana; Ms Caitlin Sives

Completed Masters Research Students: Ms Leonie Herson; Ms Saba Moghaddasi; Mr Juan Diego Escobar Bermeo

Current Masters/MPhil / Intern Students:  Mr Md.A.Chowdhury; Ms Dhanvi Jalpota; Mr Sudarshan Vijayashankar

Post-Doctoral Research Fellows: 
Dr Kristhanthi Jayasundera; Dr Hedayat Islam; Dr Khondker Rufaka Hossain;
Dr Andrew Care (UTS-CPDRF); Dr Lele Jiang;