STAFF PROFILE
Professor Donald Wlodkowic
Professor Donald Wlodkowic is a head of the Neurotox Laboratory at the School of Science (Biosciences), RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
Professor Donald Wlodkowic is heading the Neurotox Laboratory, an interdisciplinary facility with a portfolio of innovative research in aquatic ecotoxicology, behavioural ecotoxicology, eco-neurotoxicology and water quality assessment including real-time, early-warning biomonitoring systems. He is one of Australia's eminent experts in experimental behavioural ecotoxicology and eco-neurotoxicology with interests spanning effects of industrial pollutants, neurotoxins and neuroactive drugs on central nervous systems.
Donald has also an outstanding international reputation as an innovator in biomicrofluidic technologies for research on small aquatic model organisms, and digital methods to analyse aquatic animal behaviour. His laboratory has pioneered a multitude of innovative technologies and techniques for toxicology research as well as state-of-the-art innovations in digital video-based technologies for high-throughput analysis of aquatic animal behaviour.
He has extensive international experience in building and leading academic and industry projects with an outstanding track record of leading strategic initiatives in both research and learning and teaching. His strong leadership skills and result orientated strategy making is combined with demonstrated success in building successful and motivated research teams in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
He is also a passionate educator and university teacher with a strong motivation to innovative undergraduate and postgraduate bioscience teaching curriculums with the next generation digital tools.
Research interests
- Aquatic Toxicology
- Ecotoxicology
- Behavioural Ecotoxicology
- Neurotoxicology
- Developemntal Neurotoxicology
- Chemical Risk Assessment
- Water Quality Sensing
Awards
- RMIT University Award for Research Excellence – Technology (2020)
- RMIT Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellowship (2013-2017)
- Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Excellence Award (2013)
- The University of Auckland Early Career Research Excellence Award (2012)
Research facilities
Professor Donald Wlodkowic's Neurotox Laboratory is based in the RMIT Bundoora West Campus, School of Science, Biosciences (Building 223, Level 1).
Media coverage
- 2019 Science Daily "Floral foam adds to microplastic pollution problem"
- 2019 RMIT University News "The future of digital science education"
- 2016 Tufts Now "Faulty bioelectric signal responsible for facial defects caused by rare genetic disorder"
- 2016 3DPrint.com "Are We Poisoning Ourselves & the Planet with 3D Printing? More Research Emerges from RMIT University"
- 2016 RMIT University News "RMIT scientists investigate health hazards of 3D printing"
- 2014 RMIT University "Wallet-sized labs the next big thing"
Research activities
The Neurotox Laboratory at RMIT School of Science is a $1M state-of-the-art and fully integrated interdisciplinary research facility with a portfolio of innovative R&D in neurotoxicity, developmental and behavioural biotests aimed at environmental toxicology, chemical risk assessment and drug discovery. Current research activities encompass diverse and multidisciplinary projects in aquatic ecotoxicology, behavioural ecotoxicology, eco-neurotoxicology and water quality assessment including real-time, early-warning biomonitoring systems.
Current research projects
- Applications of advanced neuro-behavioural tests in aquatic ecotoxicology
- Neurotoxicity of industrial pollutants
- Neurotoxicity of plastic additives
- Neuro-behavioural alterations induced by emerging pollutants
- Embryo assays in rapid aquatic risk assessment
- Molecular methods in eco-neurotoxicology
- Real-time, early-warning water biomonitoring systems
- Discovery of neuroactive and neuro-modulating chemicals using high-throughput neuro-behavioural assays
- High-throughput behavioural video analytics for rapid discovery of nerve poison countermeasures
Teaching activities
Prof Wlodkowic teaching curriculum includes undergraduate and postgraduate courses in cell biology, biochemistry and neurobiology:
- BIOL2146 Cell Structure and Function (course coordinator)
- BIOL2333 Cell Structure and Function (course coordinator)
- BIOL2420 Cell Structure and Function (course coordinator)
- PROC2048 Fundamentals of Biochemistry (course coordinator)
- BIOL2231 - Applied Science Research Project
- ONPS2313 - Science Honours 1
- PhD in Cell Biology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland, 2007
- MSc in Experimental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland, 2001
Professional activities
- Associate Editor, Cytometry Part A (2013 - present)
- Editor, Methods in Cell Biology, Recent Advances in Cytometry, Part A, Volume 102 (2011)
- Editor, Methods in Cell Biology, Recent Advances in Cytometry, Part B, Volume 103 (2011)
- The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) (2015 – present)
- Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) (2015 – present)
- International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC) (2006 – present)
- Polish Society for Cytometry (2004 – present)
- Scientific Advisory Board of On-Chip Biotechnologies Ltd, Tokyo, Japan (2011 – present)
- Australian Research Council Nanotechnology Network (2010 – present)
- EU Framework Program, European Commission Directorate-General for Research, Directorate F (Health), Unit F.4: Genomics & Systems Biology, Brussels, Belgium (2010 – present)
- MacDiarmid Institute Bionanotechnology Network (2009 – present)
- Non-Executive Director, Cytometris R&D, UK (2008 – 2011)
- Senior Partner, Cytotech Consultancy, UK (2007 – 2011)
- Reviewer for the scientific journals: Cytometry Part A, Nature Protocols, Nature Methods, Analytical Chemistry, Lab Chip, Journal of Visualized Experiments (JOVE), Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Methods in Molecular Biology, EBM Systems Biology, Journal of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, Biomicrofluidics, Cell Cycle, Cell Proliferation, Expert Review in Molecular Diagostics, Drug Discovery Today, Molecular Cell Research, Pharmacological Reports, Molecular BioSystems, Molecular Pharmacology
- Bownik, A.,Pawlik-Skowronska, B.,Wlodkowic, D.,Mieczan, T. (2024). Interactive effects of cyanobacterial metabolites aeruginosin-98B, anabaenopeptin-B and cylindrospermopsin on physiological parameters and novel in vivo fluorescent indicators in Chironomus aprilinus larvae In: Science of the Total Environment, 914, 1 - 13
- Henry, J.,Bai, Y.,Kreuder, F.,Mawdsley, D.,Kaslin, J.,Wlodkowic, D. (2024). Methods: A bioinformatic protocol for rapid analysis of zebrafish embryo photo-motory responses (PMR) in neurotoxicity testing In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part - C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 277, 1 - 7
- Bai, Y.,Henry, J.,Cheng, E.,Perry, S.,Mawdsley, D.,Wong, B.,Kaslin, J.,Wlodkowic, D. (2023). Toward Real-Time Animal Tracking with Integrated Stimulus Control for Automated Conditioning in Aquatic Eco-Neurotoxicology In: Environmental Science and Technology, 57, 19453 - 19462
- Henry, J.,Bai, Y.,Kreuder, F.,Saaristo, M.,Kaslin, J.,Wlodkowic, D. (2022). Sensory-Motor Perturbations in Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Induced by Exposure to Low Levels of Neuroactive Micropollutants during Development In: Int. J. Mol. Sci., 23, 1 - 14
- Henry, J.,Bai, Y.,Wlodkowic, D. (2022). Digital Video Acquisition and Optimization Techniques for Effective Animal Tracking in Behavioral Ecotoxicology In: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 41, 2342 - 2352
- Bai, Y.,Henry, J.,Karpinski, T.,Wlodkowic, D. (2022). High-Throughput Phototactic Ecotoxicity Biotests with Nauplii of Artemia franciscana In: Toxics, 10, 1 - 20
- Lever, J.,Kreuder, F.,Henry, J.,Hung, A.,Allard, P.,Brkljaca, R.,Rix, C.,Taki, A.,Gasser, R.,Kaslin, J.,Wlodkowic, D.,Wolfender, J.,Urban, S. (2022). Targeted Isolation of Antibiotic Brominated Alkaloids from the Marine Sponge Pseudoceratina durissima Using Virtual Screening and Molecular Networking In: Marine Drugs, 20, 1 - 31
- Orford, J.,Ozeki, S.,Brand, J.,Henry, J.,Wlodkowic, D.,Alton, L.,Martin, J.,Wong, B. (2022). Effects of the agricultural pollutant 17ß-trenbolone on morphology and behaviour of tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis) In: Aquatic Toxicology, 251, 1 - 10
- Henry, J.,Bai, Y.,Kreuder, F.,Saaristo, M.,Kaslin, J.,Wlodkowic, D. (2022). A miniaturized electrothermal array for rapid analysis of temperature preference behaviors in ecology and ecotoxicology In: Environmental Pollution, 314, 1 - 10
- Wlodkowic, D.,Jansen, M. (2022). High-throughput screening paradigms in ecotoxicity testing: Emerging prospects and ongoing challenges In: Chemosphere, 307, 1 - 21
4 PhD Current Supervisions and 1 Masters by Research Current Supervisions7 PhD Completions
- Identifying Novel Biomarkers and Antidotes Against Neurotoxins with High-Throughput In Vivo Behavioural Screening - RA ID12250 . Funded by: Defence Science and Technology Group - Contract from (2024 to 2024)
- Force protection in the land domain. Funded by: Strategic Policy and Intelligence Group - Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) Grant 2016 from (2016 to 2016)
- Ecotoxicology-on-a-Chip: Towards Smart Devices in Environmental Biomonitoring. Funded by: ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher from (2013 to 2016)