Magdalena Plebanski

Distinguished Professor Magdalena Plebanski is an internationally recognised immunologist. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence 2020.

Distinguished Professor Magdalena Plebanski is an internationally- renowned leader in immunology and bioengineering research, Head of the Translational Immunology and Nanotechnology Theme, and Head of the Cancer, Ageing, and Vaccines Laboratory at School of Health and Biomedical Sciences. She is also Director of RMIT’s Biomedical and Health Innovation Enabling Impact Platform.

Magdalena forged a stellar career in medical and health research. At Oxford University, she showed new ways in which malaria parasites trick the human immune system and pioneered vaccine modifications now widely used around the world. Magdalena globally changed the design of nanoparticle based vaccines, showing smaller sized particles improve immune responses. This, and her related discoveries, led to 40 patents in 10 patent families supporting her setting up and running two successfully commercialized biotechnology companies in various roles as Director, CSO and CEO.

Currently, Magdalena interests lie in changing the extremely low survival outcomes from ovarian cancer, by identifying new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in the blood. One of her patented biomarkers currently underlies a large-scale Phase II human clinical trial across 15 hospitals around Australia. Magdalena and her team are also testing innovative gold-based immunotherapies in collaboration with RMIT chemists, as well as collaborating with RMIT nanoengineers to develop practical point-of-care diagnostic devices.

As well as cancer, Magdalena’s team of immunologists, bioinformaticians and geneticists study the impact of ageing on the immune system, and how this changes vaccination responses in the elderly. Her team utilize their expertise in epigenetics, bioinformatics, big data and flow cytometry, as well as access to multiple large scale human clinical trials, to understand the influence of age, sex and mood on the immune response.

Magdalena has published more than 200 peer-reviewed full-length papers, including in leading journals such as Lancet, Nature, Science, Immunity, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Medicine and Nature Communications among others, and has secured more than $30 million in funding from national and international grant bodies, as well as charitable and commercial funding.

As Director of the Biomedical & Health Innovation Enabling Impact Platform (EIP), Magdalena further mentors and supports researchers across the university whose work aligns with the research priorities of this platform: ‘Ageing population’, ‘Population growth and urbanisation’, ‘Regional and global citizenship’ and ‘4.0’ revolution and personalised medicine’. From organising and hosting international symposia, workshops, conferences, funding opportunities, newsletters, establishing and leading Networks, Magdalena brought together hundreds of researchers from multiple Schools and Colleges to form multidisciplinary research groups, that have led to outcomes and impact on real world problems. Examples of impact include a rapid response to staff and students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian subcontinent by providing relevant mental health resources and tools. This has since been adapted to create the STEM College Mental Health Resources Kit for staff and students. Another example includes the establishment of the Mental Health Innovation Network, which has published 5 Concept Papers, three webinars for students’ mental wellbeing and a personalised email initiative to support students falling between the cracks during and post- pandemic. Magdalena sees her mentorship role as pivotal to the success of the BHI EIP evidenced by the project, ‘Pathways to Healthy Ageing’ (PHA) it has funded, which started off with a lecturer taking his students to practice ‘hands on learning’ at aged care facilities, to a holistic program that encompasses a multidisciplinary research team at RMIT, hospitals, industry, local councils, the community and receiving small and large external grants.

To learn more about the work the the BHI-EIP are doing, visit Biomedical and Health Innovation at RMIT (https://www.rmit.edu.au/research/our-research/enabling-impact-platforms/biomedical-health-innovation).

Industry experience:
- Plebanski has around 40 patents in 10 patent families.
- Two of her patents for malaria treatments accrued related patents in over 10 countries, leading to multiple Phase I and II human trials before being purchased by Oxford Biomedica.
- One of her patents led to development of a biotechnology company Panvax Pty Ltd (joint venture with ARI/ Burnet institute), then Plebanski’s own independent company PX Biosolutions Pty Ltd. This patent was then acquired by the international Charity Reliable Cancer Therapies (Belgium).
- Another of her nanoparticle patents was licensed to the Cooperative Research Centre for Asthma and Airways in 2008 before also being acquired by DROIA Ventures.
- Her current patent for ovarian cancer diagnosis underlies the major human Phase II clinical trial funded by AstraZeneca (SOLACE2).
- In 2020, Plebanski led the RMIT and ECHAlliance ‘Australia and Europe – Digital Health Transformation, Agility and Resilience’ international webinar.
- Plebanski is the National Spokesperson for the ‘State of the Nation Report on Ovarian Cancer’ (2020).
- Plebanski sits on the SAB of diverse large scale charitable institutions.

Awards:
2021
Distinguished Professor, RMIT University

2020
Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence, RMIT University
RMIT SEH Media Star, RMIT University, 2020

2019
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow LvlB including Translational Award

2018
Adjunct Professor, Monash University

2017
Adjunct Professor, University of Tasmania

2014
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow LvlA

2000
Howard Hughes International Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (USA)

1998
Honorary MA and Fellowship of Linacre College, University of Oxford (UK)
Honorary Professor, Centre for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV, Mexico)

1995
Honorary MA and Fellowship of Keble College, University of Oxford (UK)

1988
Overseas PhD Scholarship (dGAPA), University of Mexico

1987
Medal Gabino Barreda, University of Mexico

Centres and Collaborations:
- Director of Biomedical & Health Innovation EIP
- Lead of the ECP Post COVID-19 ReStart Initiative, ‘ A Healthier Start’
- Co-Lead of the ECP Post COVID- ReStart Initiative, ‘A Digital Start’
- Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing & Fabrication EIP
- STEM College Cluster Research Committee (Science & Health Cluster)
- STEM College Cluster Research Committee (Research & Innovation)
- STEM College Research Strategy Committee
- Scientific Advisory Board of the RMIT AcSIR program
- Founder and Lead, Mental Health Innovation Network
- Founder, Mind the Gap Network
- Founder, Mental Health Indian Subcontinent Initiative
- Founder, Eat, Move, Heal Network