Dr Vella completed her PhD in The Biochemistry and Molecular Department at The University of Melbourne on the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in neurodegenerative disorders. She received the Dean’s award for Excellence in a PhD Thesis, a formal recognition of outstanding PhD graduates, commended by their examiners for making an outstanding contribution to a particular field of research. She has been actively researching extracellular vesicles for over 15 years, was one of the first Australians scientists to publish in the field and is responsible for making some of the earliest discoveries on EVs in the central nervous system.

In 2019, she was appointed as Head of the Extracellular Vesicle Group at The Florey, coinciding with the award of a prestigious American Alzheimer’s Association Fellowship. Dr Vella is also the Research Integrity Advisor for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at The University of Melbourne and Scientific Advisor to EV Therapeutic and Diagnostic Companies.