| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Timpani, C. A., Debrincat, D., Kourakis, S., Boyer, R., Formosa, L. E., Steele, J. R., Zhang, H., Schittenhelm, R. B., Russell, A. P., & Rybalka, E. (240615). Loss of endogenous estrogen alters mitochondrial metabolism and muscle clock-related protein Rbm20 in female mdx mice. FASEB Journal, 38(11), |
| 2024 | Akehurst, E., McCarthy, H., Scott, D., Rodriguez, J. P., Gonzalez, C. A., Murphy, J., Dorgo, S., Rybalka, E., & Hayes, A. (240601). Associations of EAT-Lancet diet food groups with sarcopenia components, self-reported sarcopenia risk and health-related quality of life in older Australians performing exercise training, following their normal diet: Six-month pretest-posttest study. Advanced Exercise and Health Science, 1(2), (138-147). |
| 2024 |
Debruin, D. A., Murphy, J., Campelj, D. G., Bagaric, R., Timpani, C. A., Goodman, C. A., Hanson, E. D., Rybalka, E., & Hayes, A. (240101). Combined orchiectomy and limb immobilization recapitulate early agerelated changes to skeletal muscle in mice. JCSM Communications, 7(1), (40-54). doi: 10.1002/rco2.90 |
| 2023 | Timpani, C. A., Kourakis, S., Debruin, D. A., Campelj, D. G., Pompeani, N., Dargahi, N., Bautista, A. P., Bagaric, R. M., Ritenis, E. J., & Sahakian, L. (231101). Dimethyl fumarate modulates the dystrophic disease program following short-term treatment. JCI Insight, 8(21), |
| 2023 |
Timpani, C. A., Rasmussen, L., & Rybalka, E. (231001). Adenylosuccinic Acid Is a Non-Toxic Small Molecule In Vitro and In Vivo. Pharmaceuticals, 16(10), doi: 10.3390/ph16101458 |
| 2023 |
Cree, T., Gomez, T. R., Timpani, C. A., Rybalka, E., Price, J. T., & Goodman, C. A. (231001). FKBP25 regulates myoblast viability and migration and is differentially expressed in in vivo models of muscle adaptation. FEBS Journal, 290(19), (4660-4678). doi: 10.1111/febs.16894 |
| 2023 |
Rybalka, E., Kourakis, S., Bonsett, C. A., Moghadaszadeh, B., Beggs, A. H., & Timpani, C. A. (230601). Adenylosuccinic Acid: An Orphan Drug with Untapped Potential. Pharmaceuticals, 16(6), doi: 10.3390/ph16060822 |
| 2022 |
Campelj, D. G., Timpani, C. A., & Rybalka, E. (220201). Cachectic muscle wasting in acute myeloid leukaemia: a sleeping giant with dire clinical consequences. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 13(1), (42-54). doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12880 |
| 2021 | Kourakis, S., Timpani, C. A., Campelj, D. G., Hafner, P., Gueven, N., Fischer, D., & Rybalka, E. (211201). Standard of care versus new-wave corticosteroids in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Can we do better?. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 16(1), |
| 2021 |
Timpani, C. A., & Rybalka, E. (211201). Calming the (Cytokine) storm: Dimethyl fumarate as a therapeutic candidate for covid-19. Pharmaceuticals, 14(1), (1-15). doi: 10.3390/ph14010015 |
Key details
Areas of expertise
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Skeletal muscle wasting
- Cachexia
- Mitochondria in health and disease
- Pre-clinical pharmaceutical testing
Available to supervise research students
Not available for media queries
About Emma Rybalka
Emma is a Principal Research Fellow (Skeletal Muscle Biology) and Lecturer (Developmental Biology) and directs the Inherited and Acquired Myopathies Program at the VU-affiliated, Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science in Melbourne. Her research is focused on targeting mitochondrial and metabolic systems to treat skeletal muscle wasting, particularly in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and cachexia caused by anti-cancer chemotherapy. Her PhD research illuminated a mitochondrial Complex I deficiency in muscles from dystrophin-deficient mdx mice, and consequently mitochondria as druggable targets to treat DMD. This work has instigated ongoing collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry and propelled new avenues for translational research. Emma has established pre-clinical drug efficacy and safety testing capacity for DMD within her lab, including a colony of dystrophic mdx mice and a suite of reputable commercial testing equipment. Her team uses a range of basic and applied techniques including strength, locomotor and behaviour assessment, respirometry/plethysmography, and imaging on live animals; cell and tissue culture, live cell imaging, immuno-/histological and molecular studies, and mitochondrial function using Seahorse extracellular flux.
Emma has an internationally recognised research track in neuromuscular disease. She is an active reviewer for many top tier journals and funding agencies, is a member of international neuromuscular disease consortium, TREAT-NMD as well as the extended TREAT-NMD Advisory Committee for Therapeutics (TACT), consults for several international pharmaceutical companies invested in rare neuromuscular disease drug development, and sits on the VU's Animal Ethics Committee.
In 2020, Emma was made an honorary Senior Research Fellow with the Department of Medicine - Western Health at the University of Melbourne and in 2021, a Research Associate with the Clinical Neuromuscular Research Group at University Children's Hospital Basel, Switzerland. She has established academic and clinical collaborators in both Australia and abroad and strong ties with industry.
Qualifications
- PhD, Victoria University, Australia, 2008
- BSc (Hons), Victoria University, Australia, 2001
Key publications
Emma has over 62 publications, with a selection listed here.
A more comprehensive list of Emma's publications is available in the VU Research Repository.
Journal article (showing 10 of 47)
Research funding for the past 5 years
Please note:
- Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
- Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
- The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.
2023
|
Targeting the gut as a novel therapeutic
intervention for fatal inherited muscular dystrophy
From: The Jack Brockhoff Foundation
Other investigators: Dr Cara Alexandrescu
For period: 2023-2024
|
$149,874 |
2022
|
Towards the clinic: Evaluating the long-term efficacy of re-purposed
dimethyl fumarate for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
From: Research Grant (AFM-Telethon), Institute for Health and Sport
Other investigators: Dr Cara Alexandrescu
For period: 2022-2025
|
$620,173 |
|
Unravelling the impact of the microbiota on skeletal muscle in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
From: Duchenne Parent Project Netherlands (DPP NL)
Other investigators: Dr Cara Alexandrescu, Miss Rachel Mcquade
For period: 2022-2023
|
$36,743 |
2021
|
Re-purposing Dimethyl Fumarate to Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
From: Muscular Dystrophy Association (USA)
For period: 2021-2022
|
$24,466 |
|
Adenylosuccinic Acid for the treatment of severe acute-onset Duchenne
Muscular Dystrophy in mdx mice. Donation from Dr Thomas Bonsett and The Estate of Dr Charles A. Bonsett
From: Estate of Dr Charles Bonsett
For period: 2021-2021
|
$213,311 |
Supervision of research students at VU
Available to supervise research students
Not available for media queries
Currently supervised research students at VU
| No. of students | Study level | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PhD | Associate supervisor |
| 3 | PhD | Principal supervisor |
Currently supervised research students at VU
| Students & level | Role |
|---|---|
| PhD (1) | Associate supervisor |
| PhD (3) | Principal supervisor |
Completed supervision of research students at VU
| No. of students | Study level | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | PhD | Associate supervisor |
| 2 | PhD | Principal supervisor |
Completed supervision of research students at VU
| Students & level | Role |
|---|---|
| PhD (5) | Associate supervisor |
| PhD (2) | Principal supervisor |
Teaching activities & experience
Emma is the unit convenor of HBM3106 Reproductive and Developmental Biology taught within the HBB Bachelor of Biomedicine and HBBS Bachelor of Biomedical Science degrees.
She also teaches into the Science Honours program and supervises research projects within HBM3105 Research Project.
Key academic roles
| Dates | Role | Department / Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2020 - Present |
Course Chair - Bachelor of Biomedicine
|
Victoria University |
| Mar 2022 - Present |
Research Associate
|
University Children's Hospital Basel |
| Apr 2021 - Present |
Director, Inherited and Acquired Myopathies Program
|
Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science |
| Mar 2021 - Present |
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
|
University of Melbourne |
| Dates | Role & Department/Organisation |
|---|---|
| Jan 2020 -
Present
|
Course Chair - Bachelor of Biomedicine
Victoria University |
| Mar 2022 -
Present
|
Research Associate
University Children's Hospital Basel |
| Apr 2021 -
Present
|
Director, Inherited and Acquired Myopathies Program
Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science |
| Mar 2021 -
Present
|
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
University of Melbourne |
