Sylvia Urban

Professor Sylvia Urban

Professor

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Details

College: School of Science
Department: School of Science
Campus: City Campus Australia
sylvia.urban@rmit.edu.au

Open to

Masters Research or PhD student supervision
Collaborative projects
Industry Projects
Media enquiries
Membership of an advisory committee
Mentoring (short-term)

About

Sylvia Urban is a Professor of chemistry in the School of Science and her research is aligned with the field of natural products chemistry and separation science, involving expertise in the areas of chromatography for purification and instrumental analysis (spectroscopy) and interpretation for structural characterisation and elucidation.

As one of Australia's leading experts in natural products chemistry, she leads the Marine and Terrestrial Natural Product (MATNAP) research group at RMIT Universtiy. Professor Urban is also the program manager of the Bachelor of Science, the largest and flagship degree in the School of Science.

In addtition, Professor Urban is the Reconciliation and Responsible Practice Facilitator in the School of Science (STEM College) and Nugulu Committee member at RMIT University. She served as Chair of the Women Researchers' Network (WRN) at RMIT University (2022 and 2023) and as the Deputy Chair (2020 and 2021).

Professor Urban is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) UK. She has won School, College, RMIT University and national awards for her teaching as well as awards in recognising her support for women in research (Athena Swan award), science outreach and for her work in Reconcilation.

Media

Research fields

340502 Natural products and bioactive compounds
340109 Separation science

UN sustainable development goals

4 Quality Education
5 Gender Equality
3 Good Health and Well Being

Academic positions

Professor and leader of the MATNAP research group
RMIT University
School of Science (Applied Chemistry & Environmental Science)
Melbourne, Australia
1 Jul 2002 – Present

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
University of Canterbury
In association with PharmaMar SA
Christchurch, New Zealand
1999 – 2002

Research Fellow
Griffith University
In association with AstraZeneca pharmaceuticals
Brisbane, Australia
1996 – 1998

Non-academic positions

Chair of the School of Science Indigenous Science Committee
RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia
5 Feb 2024 – Present

Chair of the Women Researchers' Network
RMIT University
, Australia
1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2023

RACI accreditation committee member
RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia
Jan 2022 – Present

RACI University Ambassador
RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia
2022 – 2022

Reconciliation and Responsible Practice Facilitator
RMIT University
School of Science (STEM College)
Melbourne, Australia
2019 – Present

Program Manager of the Bachelor of Science degree
RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia
2018 – Present

Supervisor projects

Synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles composed of y-glutamic acid and e-caprolactone, coated with Q-POSS as vehicles to encapsulate lysozyme in antimicrobial agents
2 Jan 2024

Chemical and Bioactivity evaluation of natural products derived from Australian Plants and/or Marine organisms and an assessment of their suitability as potential lead therapeutic compounds
1 Dec 2023

Improving freekeh nutritional and technological quality through novel approaches
4 Oct 2023

Surface-engineered Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Superior Biomedical Imaging Agents
16 Jun 2022

Natural Product Studies of Australian Marine and Terrestrial Organisms - therapeutic potential
30 Sep 2021

Natural Products from Marine Invertebrates of Port Phillip Bay
1 Feb 2018

Customary Medicinal Flora of Australia
1 Feb 2018

Development of Synthetic Strategies towards Quinoline-4-Carboxamide and Fused-Diaza Heterocycles via Annulations of Oxime Acetate
3 Apr 2017

Teaching interests

Teaching expertise

Professor Urban has taught in chemistry courses at all year levels including at the honours level at RMIT University and takes science student projects each year with WIL placements. She is a leader in STEM outreach working with both chemistry teachers and science students.

Professor Urban teaches in predominately in the analytical spectroscopy and organic chemistry components of the chemistry major.

Leadership roles

Program Manager for the Bachelor of Science (BP350) at RMIT University (2023-)

Program manager for the Bachelor of Science (BP229) at RMIT University (2018-2024).
RACI accreditation team member for chemistry related programs (2017).

RACI accreditation committee member (2022-).

Course Coordinator

Professor Urban has co-ordinated courses across year 1 and 2 and currently coordinates:
CHEM1039: Concepts in Chemistry
CHEM1053: Analytical Techniques
The School of Science has recognised her leadership with awards bestowed to her within her discipline, in teaching, in STEM outreach and in Reconciliation. The STEM college at RMIT University has also recognised her leadership with awards in teaching and in receiving the STEM College Athena Swan Award. She was also a top RMIT top media star at RMIT University in 2022.

Awards and Grants

STEM College Athena Swan Award 2023
Top STEM College Media Star 2022
School of Science Reconciliation Champion Award for 2021
School of Science Associate Dean’s Impact Award (Applied Chemistry) for 2021
STEM Female Educator of the Year Award in the STEM College in 2021
Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) in 2020
2019 Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning: (Citation: “Pioneering Pen-Enabled Cloud-Based Methodologies (PECM) to transform lecturing practices and deepen student learning in STEM subjects”) in the Innovation, leadership or scholarship that has influenced and enhanced learning and teaching and/or the student experience.
Project Funding for an RMIT University Education Innovation Pitch Project (2019)
School of Science Outreach Award (2019)
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2018
School of Science Award for Excellence in Teaching 2017
RMIT University Teaching Awards 2017: Widening Participation
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education's Award for Good Teaching RMIT University 2017 For innovative use of pen-enabled cloud-based methodologies to transform Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathemetics (STEM) teaching and enhance the student experience. https://youtu.be/qR6I3a_LD6E

SteLR Grant 2017: Pen-enabled, Real-time Student Engagement for Teaching in STEM Subjects in the School of Science
SteLR Plus Learning and Teaching Grant 2016: Contextualizing Learning Chemistry in First Year University Programs: Engaging industry-based videos with real time quizzing
Global Learning by Design (GLbD) Learning and Teaching Grant 2014: Contextualizing Learning in Diverse First-year Programs.

RMIT Chemistry Video links:

The Tragedy of Thalidomide

The Sweet World of Carbohydrates

Insulin: The holy grail of diabetes treatment

Conotoxins: Mastery of painkilling medicines from nature

The Science of Making Margarine

The Chemistry of Pressure Cooking

Cisplatin: The Role of Platinum in Cancer Treatment

Gerald Blunden award for the best paper published in Natural Product Communications for 2011
Research Supervision Award Nomination (2005)
RMIT Teaching Award (nomination 2005)

Research interests

Professor Urban is the research leader and founder of the Marine and Terrestrial Natural Product (MATNAP) research group in the School of Science (Applied Chemistry and Environmental Science). The research scope of the group is to explore the biodiversity of Australian marine and terrestrial organisms (eg. Plants, fungi, sponges, algae etc…) in the quest for new compounds for the purposes of drug discovery other applications. To expedite the process of discovery, various dereplication and chemical profiling strategies have become an important focus of the research.

Major research interests

Natural product chemistry isolation and structural elucidation
NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for characterisation of natural products
High Performance/Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and other chromatographic techniques for natural product purification (analysis of complex samples and extraction methodologies for natural products)
Hyphenated spectroscopic techniques such as HPLC-NMR and HPLC-MS for natural product profiling
Analytical/Organic chemistry and instrumental analysis for structural characterisation
Biological evaluation of natural products (drug discovery and other applications)

Key collaborations
Professor Urban has been a project leader of two important project activities within the Drug Discovery and Chemical Synthesis theme associated with the Victorian Institute for Chemical Sciences (VICS).

Her project activities have included being project manager of Drugs from the Marine and Terrestrial Environments and the VICS Molecular Resolution Facility (chromatography node at RMIT University). These activities formed part of an overall project entitled "The Pipeline – An Integrated Approach to Drug Design and Development" that represents an integrated approach to drug design and development and is positioned to fill a recognised gap in Victoria's drug development pipeline.
She has many collaborators both within and external to RMIT University for her natural product and chemical profiling research. These include Australian and international collaborators and include both University and industry partners.

PatentsMunro, M. H. G; Blunt, J. W; Urban.S and Gravalos, D., "Antitumor Carbazoles, and Coproverdine Isolation" PCT Int. Appl. 2002 29 pp (Patent Number: W00248107)