Dr. Lana McClements
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Current positions:
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Associate Professor | School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney
Chair | Science Equity and Diversity, University of Technology Sydney
Subject coordinator | Medical Biotechnology & Biobusiness
Honorary Positions | Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Editor-in-Chief | Hypertension in Pregnancy
Topic Editor (New Technologies for Women's Health | Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/22430/new-technologies-for-womens-health
Editorial Board | Biology of Sex Differences
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I am a qualified pharmacist with a MPharm degree from King's College London and five years experience as a clinical pharmacist in two biggest hospitals in London, providing both national and private healthcare. My research career started in 2010 when I enrolled into a PhD program at Queen's University Belfast. After 8 years at this wonderful university I moved to become an academic and women in science lead at the Faculty of Science at the University of Technology Sydney, one of the top 200 universities in the world.
Research program:
As a principal or chief investigator my main research focus is to develop better monitoring, risk stratification and treatment strategies for high-risk pregnancies including pregnant women with diabetes or at risk of preeclampsia. We have patented two new blood biomarkers of angiogenesis or vascular development, which can cause preeclampsia. This biomarker, FKBPL, and its target protein, CD44, can predict the risk of pre-eclampsia early in pregnancy as well indicate evolving preeclampsia therefore leading to early diagnosis. We continue to carry out cutting-edge research to understand this condition better, and have developed robust, low-risk, low-cost and reproducible 3D bioprinted or microfluidic platforms of placenta. Preeclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality in both mothers and babies. Women with diabetes have up to a four-fold increased incidence of developing this condition during pregnancy. Despite research efforts in this area, currently there are no reliable early biomarkers, effective preventative or treatment strategies for pre-eclampsia other than delivery. Our research programme focuses on developing novel early biomarkers and therapeutic strategies associated with aberrant angiogenesis, stem cell signalling, oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction.