Stephanie is a post-doctoral research fellow and a recipient of a FightMND Early Career Research Fellowship (2024-2028) which will enable her to work in the labs of Aaron Gitler (Stanford Univeristy), Eleanor Drummond (Univeristy of Sydney) and Albert Lee (Macquarie University).  

Previously, she has been a recipient of the Macquarie University Research Fellow (MQRF, 2021-2024) and completed this fellowship at the Centre for MND Research. She was awarded her PhD from Macquarie University in 2020, along with the Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence and Ramy Razavian Dean Award for Academic Excellence. She was also the winner of the 2019 research Excellence Awards (STEMM category). 

Her research work has been focused on understanding how mutations in cyclin F are causing Motor Neuron Disease (MND). Accordingly, her expertise has been developed in understanding mechanisms of neurodegeneration using mass spectrometry and biochemical assays. Whilst answering this question, she travelled to Copenhagen to work with cyclin F expert, Claus Sørensen. Here, she learned assays focused on direct protein-protein interactions which could be brought back to Australia. Through this work, Stephanie has identified a novel substrate of cyclin F which links cyclin F mutations to MND. Notably, this new interaction can be utilised to enhance the clearance of a protein that is known to form pathological aggregates in MND cases. Accordingly, this aspect of the work has led to the filing of multiple patents.

Her current work is dedicated to continue developing methods to prevent the formation of toxic disease-causing aggregates that are closely linked to the progression of Motor Neurone Disease.