Dr Kelly Martinovich is an emerging leader in oligonucleotide therapeutics and translational molecular medicine. She is a Research Fellow in the Molecular Therapy Laboratory at the Perron Institute and Murdoch University’s Personalised Medicine Centre.

Dr Martinovich completed her PhD at UWA in 2021, investigating oligonucleotide-based therapies for people with rare cystic fibrosis variants. Her research spans airway and infectious diseases, cardiovascular conditions and rare genetic disorders. Dr Martinovich is a 2026 Stan Perron Charitable Trust Fellow, which sees her combine skills in advanced cellular and molecular biology with therapeutic design and preclinical evaluation to develop safe and effective treatments for Western Australian children.

Her work contributes to major national and philanthropic programs advancing antisense oligonucleotide therapies, personalised medicines and disease models. Her translational work was recognised through a Western Australian Government Innovation Fellowship in 2022 and Murdoch University’s Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Research Award in 2025.

Dr Martinovich is also helping shape the next generation of gene and cell therapy research. She is Secretary of the Australasian Gene and Cell Therapy Society and contributes to early- and mid-career researcher leadership at Perron and Murdoch University. Dr Martinovich is passionate about training the next generation of scientists through supervision and mentorship. Through community conversations, research presentations and direct consumer involvement, Dr Martinovich ensures her research is conducted with the utmost respect for community needs. Her research is driven by the goal of bridging academia and industry to move promising molecular discoveries towards treatments that improve people’s lives.

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