Rebecca Robker

Professor Rebecca Robker is a leading biomedical scientist and NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. She leads the Ovarian Cell Biology Research Group within the School of Medicine and Robinson Research Institute, focusing on the mechanisms governing female fertility and the effects of maternal physiology (e.g., obesity, aging) on oocyte quality and early embryonic development. Her work bridges basic research and clinical implications, with applications in infertility treatments, animal reproduction optimization, and women’s health policies. She holds academic roles in the School of Biomedicine and Robinson Research Institute's Early Origins of Health Theme.

• Education: PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Baylor College of Medicine; Postdoctoral training at NIH in Leukocyte Biology.
• Research Themes: Oocyte maturation, mitochondrial inheritance, obesity's impact on fertility, and transgenerational health effects of ART.
• Grants: NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (2017–2020) and grants from Diabetes Australia, NHMRC, and ARC focused on obesity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ovarian physiology.
• Awards: NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (2017–2020).
• Lab Team: Includes postdocs (e.g., Dr. Linda Wu) and students (e.g., Siew Wong, Macarena Gonzalez) working on oocyte quality, mitochondrial function, and IVF outcomes.
• Publications: Over 100 peer-reviewed articles on topics including mitochondrial dynamics, obesity's effects on reproduction, and transgenerational metabolic programming.

Her research highlights how maternal obesity and aging impair oocyte mitochondrial function, leading to long-term health consequences in offspring. She investigates therapies (e.g., mitochondrial activators like BGP-15) to mitigate these effects and improve ART outcomes. Current projects include studying lipid metabolism in oocytes, immune cell influences on ovarian function, and mitigating oxidative stress in embryos.

Prof. Robker collaborates widely, with grants totaling millions, and mentors students across PhD and Master’s programs. Her work is published in high-impact journals like Endocrinology, Genes, and Antioxidants.