Renate Schwab

Dr Renate Schwab

Gulbali Research Fellow

Gulbali Institute

Biography

I have extensive research expertise with mouse and human models of colon cancer, with a focus on Wnt signalling, a molecular pathway that is critical for stem cell function. I completed my PhD in the Vincan group, studying the function of a Wnt receptor, Frizzled7, in the normal intestinal epithelium, at the initiation of colon cancer and during tumour morphogenesis. I developed novel ex-vivo 3D tumour organoid technologies to dissect the transition from stem cell to cancer stem cell.

In my most recent Postdoc position at QUT in the Hepaticgenomics Research Group, I established a hepatic spheroid model to use in an assay to test potential anti-fibrotic compounds.

Within the Gulbali Institute, my research focus has shifted to Biosecurity and the investigation into anti-virals. I hope to use my expertise in 3D cell cultures to establish methods for interrogating and testing potential anti-viral compounds.

Research
  • Biosecurity
  • Anti-virals
  • 3D cell culture
  • Adult stem cell derived organoids
Publications
Full publications list on CRO

Recent publications

  • Dandan Zhu, Mirja Krause, Tamara Yawno, Gina D Kusuma, Renate Schwab, Mehri Barabadi, Amina S Maleken, Siow T Chan, Rod Hunt, David Greening, Euan M Wallace, Rebecca Lim. Assessing the impact of gestational age of donors on the efficacy of amniotic epithelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles in experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Stem Cell Research & Therapy 13(1):196 (2022)
  • Zhu D, Fang H, Kusuma GD, Schwab R, Barabadi M, Chan ST, McDonald H, Leong CM, Wallace EM, Greening DW, Lim R.Impact of chemically defined culture media formulations on extracellular vesicle production by amniotic epithelial cells. Proteomics 21(13-14):e2000080(2021)
  • Schwab RHM, Goonetilleke M, Zhu D, Kusuma GD, Wallace EM, Lim R. Amnion epithelial cells – a therapeutic source. Current Stem Cell Reports 7(1):1-17 (2021)
  • Zhu D, Kusuma GD, Schwab R, Chan ST, Tan J, Saad MI, Leeman KT, Kim C, Wallace EM, Lim R. Prematurity negatively affects regenerative properties of human amniotic epithelial cells in the context of lung repair. Clinical Science (Lond). 134(20):2665-2679 (2020)
  • Schwab RHM, Lim R, Goldberg R. Resolving intestinal fibrosis through regenerative medicine. Current Opinion in Pharmacology 49:90-94 (2019)