La Trobe University > Research > Research centres and institutes > Centre for Extracellular Vesicles > Research > Researchers and publications

Researchers and publications

These recent academic outputs highlight the contributions of our team to new discoveries and methodologies in the field of extracellular vesicles. They also demonstrate the far reaching and cross-disciplinary implications of work in this field – from neurobiology, cancer, reproduction, biomarkers and infections to plant diseases and food supplies.

Professor Anderson

Studies natural plant defenses, and the biology of pathogens. By understanding how pathogenic fungi build their cell walls and adapt to treatment with fungicides, she is identifying new strategies and targets to control them. Detailed bioinformatic, biochemical and genetic methods are used to understand defense evolution and mechanisms of action and to develop commercial applications in crop protection and human antifungal therapeutics.

Recent publications

Dr Lesley Cheng

Research focuses on developing diagnostic tests for the detection of early onset Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. She specialises in small RNA deep sequencing and has devised methods to sequence nucleic acids from limited material such as biological fluids. Her research detailing the genetic content of neuronal exosomes is being developed as an Alzheimer’s disease biomarker (Patent application 2013).

Recent publications

Dr David Greening

Integrates a system biology approach to the study of the secretome and understand the role of the extracellular environment (specifically membrane vesicles and exosomes) in cancer progression and uterine biology.

Recent publications

Professor Andrew Hill

Interested in extracellular vesicles such as exosomes and microvesicles as vehicles for the transfer of misfolded proteins between cells. He also investigates the RNA content of vesicles using next generation sequencing and how to use this to develop potential diagnostics for prion and Alzheimer's diseases.

Recent publications

Dr Mark Hulett

Research focus includes the role of the heparin-sulphate degrading enzyme in tumour angiogenesis, metastasis, and inflammatory disease; function of the serum protein histidine-rich glycoprotein in tumour progression and inflammation; and innate defense molecules as novel anti-cancer treatments.

Recent publications

Dr Maria Liaskos

Uses advanced imaging, molecular and immunological techniques to visualise the intracellular trafficking of bacterial outer membrane vesicle in host cells. She identified that bacterial membrane vesicles undergo degradation via autophagy, a process which is essential to drive inflammation in the host.

Recent publications

Associate Professor Suresh Mathivanan

Major research interests in exploring the role of extracellular matrix components (soluble secreted proteins and extracellular vesicles). His laboratory integrates proteomic, genomic and bioinformatics methodologies to study intercellular communication and cancer progression.

Recent publications

Dr Ivan Poon

Aims to understand the machinery that controls how dying cells can disassemble into smaller pieces, the importance of cell disassembly in disease settings (e.g. influenza A infection and atherosclerosis), and to identify new drugs to control this process.

Recent publications

Professor Richard Simpson

Research focus is to understand the role of the extracellular environment (specifically, EVs) in cancer progression. His team utilises in vitro and in vivo cancer/EMT models, and techniques including lipophilic-cell/EV-labelling, cell sorting, state-of-the-art fluorescence microscopy, western immunoblotting, mass spectrometry-based protein profiling for discovery and targeted strategies, miR/mRNA/lncRNA profiling and qRT-PCR validation.