معرفی
Rita Mejzini is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Personalised Medicine Centre within the Health Futures Institute at Murdoch University and the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science. Her work focuses on developing therapeutic antisense oligonucleotides for motor neurone disease, particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with research spanning molecular medicine and neurodegenerative disease therapeutics.
Her academic background includes:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biomedical Science (2019-2023) from Murdoch University, with thesis titled "Development of Antisense Oligonucleotides with Therapeutic Potential for Treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" supervised by Prof Patrick Anthony Akkari, Prof Steve Wilton, and Dr Loren Flynn.
- Bachelor of Science (BS) with First Class Honours in Biomedical Science and Molecular Biology (2016) from Murdoch University.
Dr. Mejzini's research centers on translating molecular discoveries into clinical applications for ALS, leveraging antisense oligonucleotide technology to target disease mechanisms. Her innovative work has yielded three international patents for AO-based Motor Neurone Disease therapies, positioning her at the forefront of personalized neurotherapeutic development. She actively contributes to the Motor Neurone Disease Research group's mission of bridging laboratory science with patient-focused outcomes.
Her recognition includes:
- Three consecutive Vice Chancellors Commendations for Academic Excellence (2012, 2014, 2015)
- Murdoch University Annual Research Symposium poster prize (2019)
- International Symposium on ALS/MND biomedical poster finalist (2023)
As a core member of the Personalised Medicine Centre team, Dr. Mejzini collaborates extensively with the Perron Institute to advance preclinical therapeutic development, with ongoing work focused on optimizing oligonucleotide delivery systems and biomarker identification for ALS progression monitoring.
