Julija Rabcuka

Julia's doctoral research at the University of Oxford focused on oxygen delivery in organ transplantation and transfusion medicine, in a rare partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant and several biotechnology start-ups developing novel blood storage solutions. Using normothermic machine perfusion of human kidneys, the research showed that stored blood releases oxygen too slowly to fully supply tissue. The work produced the first patent-pending biomarker of red cell oxygen-unloading kinetics and laid the groundwork for a microfluidic diagnostic device, later funded through the European Research Council Proof of Concept programme. Her research has been published in Blood and the Lancet Family, and she was awarded the International Society of Blood Transfusion’s Harold Gunson Fellowship, which recognises leading scientists under 40.

Julija was among the early scientists in longevity venture capital. As a Scientific Fellow at one of the first longevity focused funds, she led deck review and scientific due diligence on early-stage therapeutics and diagnostics companies. She also served as President of the Oxford Venture Capital Network, the University of Oxford’s premier VC society connecting students, founders and investors. There she led its flagship Venture Capital Program, which trains students in valuation, investment memos and funding mechanics, and grew a network bridging academic science and the investors who fund it.

She holds a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Genes, Drugs and Stem Cells: Novel Therapies from Imperial College London.