Dr Anna Kuballa is a Lecturer in Biomedical Science within the School of Health at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). She graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Hons) from the James Cook University and developed a passion for research while working in diagnostic laboratory in Cologne, Germany. Anna returned to Australia to complete her PhD in the field of molecular biology at the University of Queensland, receiving the Deans commendation for outstanding PhD. She continued with a post-doctoral research fellowship at the USC where she currently holds an academic teaching and research position.
Anna is passionate about providing a high-quality, student-centred learning experience and was recognised for her teaching contributions with a fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2020. Anna is course coordinator for Medical Genetics (BIM202) and Clinical Embryology (BIM371). She also teaches into Cell Biology (LFS100), Integrated Physiology (LFS203), Advanced Haematology (MLS201) and Integrated Medical Science (MED301) at USC.
Anna’s published contributions centre around the molecular pathways involved in inflammation and microbial infection. Her special research interests include the compositional analysis of human milk, with a particular focus on pre- and probiotic components (oligosaccharide and microbiome profiles), and the gut microbial changes associated with Crohn’s disease progression. Anna also conducts research on the molecular responses to live microbial biotherapeutic use, focusing on the inflammatory and infection pathways observed in gut epithelial cell line models. Her most recent research activities follow epigenetic modulated responses to therapeutic drug intervention in participants with post-traumatic stress disorder, through microRNA and gene expression profiling.
Professional Memberships
- Member of The Fertility Society of Australia (FSA)
- Member of Scientists in Reproductive Technology (SIRT)
Awards
- Higher Education Academy fellowship (FHEA) (2020) - USC
- Foundations of University Teaching (2018) - USC
- USC Advance Award – Advancing Blended Learning (2017)
- Cell3D Team. Dr Ann Parkinson, Dr Nicole Masters, Dr Nicole Reinke, Dr Mary Kynn and Dr Anna Kuballa.
- USC Advance Awards - commendation for exemplary practice (2016)
- Advancing quality teaching. Dr Anna Kuballa.
Professional Social Media
Dr Anna Kuballa collaborates with local and national stakeholders as a member of the Milk BANC (Breastmilk and Nutrition Research Collaborative) group. Here her work focuses on the associations between breast milk composition, the accompanying genomic profiles (including microbiome and epigenetic patterns) and maternal nutritional status with the goal to improve infant health.
Anna has a special interest in the inflammatory bowel condition Crohn’s disease and as a co-investigator on a Helmsley Charitable Trust grant for research into Crohn’s disease prevention, collaborates with international partners studying pre-clinical Crohn’s disease. She is also involved with probiotic research on bacterial infection pathways using a cell co-culture model.
Anna’s most recent research interests involve collaborations with the Thompson Institute identifying epigenetic factors associated with drug response in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Anna supervises SRP, honours and HDR students across various research projects.
Her areas of research interest are:
- Human milk compositional analysis focussing on pre- and probiotic factors (oligosaccharides and the milk microbiome) with links to maternal nutritional status and treatment strategies.
- Molecular mechanisms associated with Crohn’s disease (including gut microbiome analysis and inflammatory gene expression regulation).
- Molecular responses to live microbial biotherapeutic use focusing on the inflammatory and infection pathways observed in gut cell line models.
- Molecular biomarkers involved in the therapeutic intervention of PTSD (including microRNA and mRNA expression).
- Biomedical Science education
Grant Funding
|
Year |
Funding Source |
Project Title |
Investigators |
|
2019 |
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust US $1,238,209 |
Establishing new paradigms in pre-clinical Crohn’s disease - The INSPIRE study
|
Sorrentino D., Kuballa A.V., Geraci M. |
|
2019 |
Agilent Tech Scholarship - USC Research Scholarship $22,500 |
Composition of bioactive oligosaccharides in human milk
|
Biddulph C., Maher J., Kuballa A.V, Holmes M. |
|
2017 |
First Year Experience Grant Academic Integrity education research project. $4,000 |
Avoid a collision with collusion: A course-specific module to develop first year student knowledge of academic integrity |
Parkinson A., Reinke N., Kuballa A.V., Hatje E., Donkin R., Askew L. |
|
2015 |
University of the Sunshine Coast Inflammation and Healing Research Cluster. $5,000 |
The predictive potential of cumulus oophorus cells for determining oocyte competence and embryo development. |
Kuballa A.V, Jackson P, Stokes P. |
|
2013 |
University of the Sunshine Coast Faculty Seed Research Grant. $9,700 |
Identification of early biomarkers in the regulation of inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. |
Kuballa A.V, Walton S. |
Research areas
- molecular basis of biomineralisation in pearl oysters
- moult regulation and exoskeletal formation in crustaceans
- prawn HPV infection and resistance
- molluscan metabolic suppression
- gene discovery and trait association
Teaching areas
Dr Anna Kuballa's specialist areas of knowledge include the molecular pathways associated with inflammation and microbial infection, microbiome and epigenetic profiling and breast milk compositional analysis.