Shadrack Mutuku

Shadrack Mutuku is an Associate Research Fellow at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, where he has been appointed since 2022. He holds a PhD in Medicine from the University of Adelaide (2016-2020) and an MSc in Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Nottingham (2014-2015). As an early-career researcher, his work focuses on applying mass spectrometry-based lipidomics and metabolomics to study cellular composition, molecular processes, and disease biomarkers.

His primary research investigates spatial lipid distribution in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson's) and lysosomal disorders using MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. Additional interests include cancer lipidomics, bioanalytical quantitation, and biomarker discovery. Mutuku's publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on:

• Developing quantitative mass spectrometry imaging methodologies
• Prostate cancer lipid metabolism and heterogeneity
• Clinical applications in andrology and reproductive biology
• Analytical technique innovation for lipid detection

He currently supervises a PhD project on 'Pharmacological Profiling of Amiloride Analogues as Inhibitors of the Urokinase Plasminogen Activation System in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.' His research is supported by several grants including:

• Early Mid Career Researcher Enabling Grant (2022, 2024)
• Project on neurotransmitter-lipid metabolic links in neurodegeneration (2023-2024)