VivaZome Therapeutics is proud to announce that our Research Scientist Dr. Ella Johnston is the recipient of a prestigious ARC Early Career Industry Fellowship in partnership with La Trobe University.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) Early Career Industry Fellowship program is designed to foster deep collaboration between early career researchers and industry partners, enabling the translation of innovative science into real-world outcomes. Dr. Johnston’s fellowship exemplifies this vision by advancing the development, characterisation, and translation of VivaZome’s extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapeutics.

Ella has worked as a Research Scientist at VivaZome Therapeutics for almost two years, focusing on the development of methods for EV loading, quantification of loaded cargo, and analytics. Her fellowship will be funded for a three-year period, and aims to:

– Develop and optimise novel methods for loading small molecules, RNA, and inorganic molecules into VivaZome’s therapeutic EVs, enhancing their functionality

– Leverage advanced EV manufacturing and characterisation platforms, including single-particle analytics and high-resolution mass spectrometry to characterise VivaZome’s EV products

– Establish fit-for-purpose analytical assays and contribute to the creation of industry standards for EV quality and scalability in a manufacturing setting

This collaboration aligns with VivaZome’s current focus on clinical and commercial translation of EV-based products and reinforces Australia’s leadership in the emerging field of cell-free regenerative medicine. We congratulate Ella and look forward to working together on this exciting and impactful initiative.