Rate My Professor Lucinda McRobb

Dr. Lucinda McRobb is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, at Macquarie University. She possesses over 30 years of research experience in microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology, cell signalling, endocrinology, and vascular disease. Dr. McRobb earned her BSc (Hons) from the University of Sydney and a PhD in vascular biology from the same institution in 2008, investigating androgen effects on the pathogenesis of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. Before her PhD, she worked as a senior scientist in the School of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Sydney, studying molecular mechanisms of bacterial evolution and adaptation to nutrient stress. She held postdoctoral positions at the Heart Research Institute in Sydney and the Centre for Vascular Research at the University of New South Wales. In 2014, she joined the Neurosurgery Research Group in the Department of Clinical Medicine at Macquarie University, led by Professor Marcus Stoodley, to develop new treatment approaches for brain vascular malformations. Since 2016, she has lectured in the Bachelor of Clinical Science and MD programs, currently serving as Unit Convenor for MEDI2200 Human Cell and Molecular Biology, and has taught units covering cell cycle, DNA damage and repair, endocrinology, and neurovascular systems. She completed the Certificate in Foundations of Learning and Teaching at Macquarie University in 2017.

Dr. McRobb leads research on brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), the leading cause of haemorrhagic stroke in children and young adults, focusing on vascular targeting agents (VTAs) for precision thrombosis post-gamma knife radiosurgery. Her work identifies radiation-induced molecular targets on endothelial cells, such as externalized PDCE2 and αB-crystallin, for drug delivery, imaging, and vessel occlusion, utilizing 3D endothelial spheroid models and proteomic analysis. Additional interests include atherosclerosis, vascular restenosis, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and neurovascular dementia. She has secured grants including the Michael Morgan HDR Scholarship (2021-2025), Brain Foundation funding for thrombotic nanodisks (2019), and DNA aptamers for AVM drug delivery (2020). Awards encompass AAS Finalist Younger Investigator/Travel Grant (2007), AVBS Poster Prize (2011), CVR Best Postdoctoral Presentation (2013), and Best Postdoctoral Oral Presentation (2017). Key publications include 'A Simple Model to Study Mosaic Gene Expression in 3D Endothelial Spheroids' (2024, Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease), 'Externalization of Mitochondrial PDCE2 on Irradiated Endothelium as a Target for Radiation-Guided Drug Delivery and Precision Thrombosis of Pathological Vasculature' (2022, International Journal of Molecular Sciences), 'Activating KRAS Mutations Expressed in 3D Endothelial Spheroids Induce Blebbing Morphologies Associated with Amoeboid-Like Migration' (2026, Cells), 'Consent for Spine Surgery: An Observational Study' (2021, ANZ Journal of Surgery), and 'Endothelial Surface Translocation of Mitochondrial PDCE2 Involves the Non-Canonical Secretory Autophagy Pathway' (2021, Experimental Cell Research). Her contributions advance novel therapies for vascular disorders and neurovascular pathologies.