Hana Starobova

Dr Hana Starobova is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), University of Queensland, and a member of the Sensory Neuropharmacology Group. She also holds an affiliation with the Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR) and the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Behavioural Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding and mitigating adverse effects of cancer therapies, particularly in pediatric patients, with a strong emphasis on neuropathies. She obtained her PhD in 2020 from the IMB, followed by a Children’s Hospital Foundation Fellowship (2021–2023). Her work has led to collaborations with industry partners like Cantargia AB and philanthropic funding, highlighting the translational impact of her research.

Dr Starobova’s research interests include developing mechanism-based treatments for chemotherapy-induced adverse effects, studying adhesion molecules in immunology, and exploring age-related impacts of cancer therapies. Her lab employs innovative preclinical models, transcriptomics, and microscopy techniques to dissect neuroinflammatory pathways and develop novel therapies. Her contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards, including the Women in Technology Young Achiever Award (2019) and the IASP Award (2018).

Her publications span over 27 peer-reviewed articles and have garnered >1,100 citations (h-index 15, i10-index 18). Key themes in her work include NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition, gut microbiome-neuroinflammation interactions, and venom-derived therapeutic peptides. Current projects aim to modulate immune responses via potassium channels and systematically review CIPN predictors. She actively supervises PhD and Master’s students, focusing on translational research and clinical applications.

Dr Starobova’s future work seeks to advance therapies targeting neuropathic pain and reduce long-term side effects of chemotherapy, with ongoing industry partnerships and clinical trial contributions.