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Dr Valentina Hurtado McCormick

Pronouns: she,her,hers

IWY-CERC Fellow

https://people.csiro.au/H/V/valentina-hurtadomccormick

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Biography

Valentina is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Resource Sector Biotechnology Team within the Industry Environments Program in CSIRO Environment. Valentina is defying the odds of ending plastic waste. She is carrying out cutting-edge research in microalgal bioplastics production to identify and bioprospect microalgal species/consortia with the ability to produce the building blocks of alternative, more sustainable materials. During her Impossible Without You (IWY) fellowship, she will develop an innovative bioproduction platform for microalgal biopolymers using waste feedstocks and natural environments. She is seeking an integrated design with the optimal microbe(s), cultivation system, and harvesting process of the derived microalgal compounds.

Other Interests

Valentina is a marine microbial ecologist by training, with ample experience in plant-microbe interactions, microbiome research, and the classic microbiology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics approaches that these research fields entail.

Academic Qualifications

  • 2020

    Doctor of Phylosophy - PhD, Microbial Ecology
    University of Technology Sydney

  • 2012

    Master of Science - MS, Molecular Biology
    Universidad de los Andes

  • 2011

    Bachelor's degree, Microbiology
    Universidad de Los Andes

Current Roles

  • Impossible Without You CERC Fellow
    Bioplastics production platform development

Other highlights

  • 2023-Present

    Software Carpentry Governance Committee Co-chair

  • 2022-Present

    Certified Carpentries Instructor

  • 2019-Present

    Journal Reviewer

Professional Experiences

  • 2022-2022

    Environmental Officer
    NSW Department of Planning and Environment

  • 2021-2022

    Research Fellow
    Deakin University

  • 2019-2020

    Postdoctoral Research Associate
    University of Technology Sydney

  • 2016-2022

    Academic
    University of Technology Sydney

  • 2015-2020

    PhD Candidate
    University of Technology Sydney

Professional Areas

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Publications

We have publications by Dr Valentina Hurtado McCormick