Dr Richard Lobb
Dr

Richard Lobb

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Background

I lead the extracellular vesicle (EV) Diagnostics and Therapeutics research theme within the Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland. My research aims to transform EVs into precision tools for detecting, monitoring, and treating complex diseases of the brain and body by integrating EV biology, immunology, bioengineering, and nanotechnology.

My group is developing advanced analytical platforms for single-vesicle profiling in blood and other biofluids, enabling tissue-specific EV diagnostics that trace their cellular origin and act as a “molecular GPS” for disease activity throughout the body. In parallel, my program focuses on bioengineering organotropic EVs with targeted delivery capabilities to cross biological barriers and treat neurological disorders and cancer.

Through this work, I aim to advance next-generation EV technologies that provide real-time molecular insights into disease progression and enable new therapeutic strategies for brain cancer, metastatic CNS disease, traumatic brain injury, dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and motor neuron disease.

Availability

Dr Richard Lobb is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Extracellular Vesicles

    Clinical interest in extracellular vesicles (EVs) has grown rapidly as accumulating evidence highlights their central role in intercellular communication and systemic regulation. Small EVs, or exosomes, are nanoscale lipid bilayer vesicles (30–150 nm) constitutively secreted by virtually all cell types. They carry a diverse molecular cargo of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, including mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, reflecting the physiological state of their cell of origin. Consequently, EVs have emerged as versatile biomarkers and mediators of disease processes, offering new opportunities for diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutic intervention across oncology, neurodegenerative and traumatic brain disorders, cardiovascular disease, and immune dysregulation. Importantly, tissue-derived EVs are readily detectable in a range of biofluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid, supporting their utility in minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” approaches for precision health.

  • Therapeutics

    The ability of small EVs to transfer biomolecules between cells highlights their potential in modulating intercellular communication for therapeutic purposes. Small EVs possess natural traits that facilitate effective drug delivery, including their ability to traverse biological barriers and be administered via various routes, offering flexibility in treatment strategies. These inherent advantages can be exploited with precise bioengineering of EV membrane proteins for targeted distribution to specific organs and cell types, improving therapeutic outcomes while minimizing unintended effects. As a result, EVs as an advanced bionanoparticle therapeutic may represent next-generation drug delivery resulting in safer and more effective therapies

Search Professor Richard Lobb’s works on UQ eSpace

41 works between 2014 and 2027
All (41) Journal Article (37) Other Outputs (1) Conference Publication (1) Book Chapter (2)

41 - 41 of 41 works

2014

Journal Article

Exosomes in cancer metastasis: Novel targets for diagnosis and therapy?

Wen, Shu Wen, Lobb, Richard and Moller, Andreas (2014). Exosomes in cancer metastasis: Novel targets for diagnosis and therapy?. Cancer Forum, 38 (2), 116-120.

Exosomes in cancer metastasis: Novel targets for diagnosis and therapy?

Current funding

  • 2026 - 2027
    A new window into the brain: a simple blood test to spot chronic traumatic encephalopathy-related dementia early
    Dementia Research Community grants
    Open grant
  • 2025 - 2029
    Across the blood-brain barrier: digital profiling of circulating brain-derived extracellular vesicles to monitor primary brain cancer and brain metastases
    NHMRC Investigator Grants
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2024
    Liquid Biopsy array platform to monitor GBM Progression (The Mark Hughes Foundation grant administered by The University of Newcastle)
    University of Newcastle
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    nanoIMPAC: Monitoring immune toxicities and tumour immune evasion in lung cancer
    Cancer Australia
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2024
    Can the brain's immune cell be used to track treatment response in high-grade glioma? (University of Newcastle led Mark Huges Foundation Brain Cancer Innovation Project Grant)
    University of Newcastle
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Engineering therapeutic cells for pan-cancer diagnosis and eradication
    CSIRO Synthetic Biology Fellowship
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Richard Lobb is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

  • A New Window into the Brain: Profiling Extracellular Vesicles for Neuro-Oncology

    Establish a liquid biopsy approach for brain cancer by mapping the molecular phenotype of blood-derived EVs from brain-resident cells. This project leverages tissue-specific EV markers and multiplexed nanotechnologies to enable minimally invasive monitoring of glioblastoma, brain metastases, and neuroinflammation.

  • Advanced Bionanoparticle Engineering for Therapeutics

    Develop next-generation extracellular vesicle (EV) engineering strategies for targeted therapeutic delivery. This project focuses on the design and functionalisation of EVs and synthetic mimetics, integrating bio-orthogonal chemistry, surface display technologies, and therapeutic cargo loading to optimise delivery to tumours and inflamed tissues.

  • Unravelling EV-Mediated Intercellular Communication in Health and Disease

    Investigate the functional roles of EVs in modulating recipient cell behaviour. This project combines controlled EV isolation with advanced in vitro/ in vivo models to dissect how EV cargo influences signalling pathways, immune responses, and cellular plasticity in the context of cancer and injury.

  • Multiplexed Nanotechnology for EV Analysis and Diagnostics

    Design and apply cutting-edge nanostructures—including nanopillar arrays and barcoded nanoparticles—for high-sensitivity EV capture and molecular profiling. This platform supports multi-marker EV analysis in clinical biospecimens, with applications in early detection, disease monitoring, and precision medicine.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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