Daniela has a joint appointment across the Faculties of Engineering and Medicine at Monash University. She has Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees and a PhD in Natural Sciences (Dr rer nat) from the Faculty of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Germany. She has over 17 years of academic experience, working as a research scientist and group leader in 5 countries (Germany, Australia, Switzerland, USA, UK). She was Deputy Director in the Centre for Regenerative Medicine at Queensland University of Technology, before she joined the Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London as a Reader in Bioengineering and Cancer.

Daniela’s scientific achievements, technologies and leadership have been recognised by a number of national and international awards. She is the recipient of the 2019 Joint E.K. Frey – E.Werle and Henner Graeff Promotion Prize, a 2015 Monash University Engineering Women’s Leadership Award, a 2013 Oral Presentation Award at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Congress, Queensland University of Technology Mid-Career and Early Career Researcher Awards and four Carla Patterson Publication Awards. She was selected to attend the 2017 Women and Power Executive Leadership Program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Daniela’s research interests are to understand the role of the extracellular and cellular microenvironment in modulating cancer progression and therapy response applying tissue-engineered technologies. Using her multidisciplinary expertise in cell biology, biomedical engineering and translational research, her team develops 3D platforms by integrating patient-specific and biomechanical characteristics of the tumour microenvironment to test biological therapies.

Daniela’s work and research have been recognised nationally and internationally with peer-reviewed publications (Nature Protocols, Biomaterials, Cancer Research, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, Trends in Biotechnology), presentations and invited participation in international symposia.