Valery Combes

A/Prof Valery Combes is an Associate Professor and Associate Head of School (Education & Students) at the School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney. She holds a PhD in Hematology and Immunology from the Université de la Méditerranée, France (2001). Her research focuses on extracellular vesicles (EVs) in malaria and vascular biology, with over 89 publications and a h-index of 41. Key roles include leading the Microvesicles and Malaria Research Group and serving as Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney (2015–2015).

Research interests span EV-mediated cell communication, pathogenesis of cerebral malaria, and EV cargo analysis (proteins/microRNAs) in human and in vitro models. She has pioneered studies demonstrating EVs' critical roles in malaria infection and vascular lesions, shifting paradigms from passive bystanders to active biological effectors.

Her funded projects include investigating EV roles in malaria pathogenesis, modeling blood-brain barrier lesions, and developing inhibitors of EV production. She has also consulted for RCPA Quality Assurance Programs (2022–2024) and served as Associate Editor for Scientific Reports and PLoS One.