Louis Rendina

Professor Louis Rendina is Professor of Chemistry in the School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, at the University of Sydney, where he also serves as Associate Head of Research Education. A graduate of the Australian National University, he earned a BSc (Hons I) in 1988 and a PhD. He leads the Rendina Group, specializing in the synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and chemical biology of boron and lanthanoid elements. The group's research emphasizes chemical probe and drug discovery, and the design of novel (radio)theranostic agents exploiting unique properties of these elements for advanced cancer therapies. Key areas include boron-based drugs such as polyhedral boranes and carboranes for designing chemical probes, antimicrobials, and anticancer agents; tumour-selective organic chelators that deliver high concentrations of metal ions (Gd³⁺, Ga³⁺, Sc³⁺, Tb³⁺, Lu³⁺) to tumour cell mitochondria for applications in photon activation therapy (PAT), neutron capture therapy (NCT), neutron capture enhanced particle therapy (NCEPT), targeted radiotherapy, and diagnostic imaging (PET, SPECT, MRI); gadolinium complexes as theranostic agents with MRI potential; and new boron-containing fluorophores for near-infrared biological imaging and staining of lipids and subcellular organelles.

Rendina's research is supported by grants from the Australian Research Council, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, and the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for the Development of Advanced Radiochemical Technologies (DART), where he holds positions as Deputy Director and Node Leader. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI), Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW (FRSN), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) (FRSC), and recipient of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute Organometallic Chemistry Award. His scholarly impact includes over 120 publications, such as 'Recent advances in the antimicrobial potential of boron cluster compounds' (2024), 'Significant cell uptake of Gd(III)-diphenylphosphoryl conjugates and evidence for a new conformationally-dependent tumour cell selectivity mechanism for mitochondrial aryltriphosphonium salts' (2023), 'Synthesis and tumour cell uptake studies of gadolinium(III)-arylphosphonium complexes as potential bimodal imaging agents' (2021), and 'Carborane-Containing Polymer Nanoparticles via Light-Mediated Surface-Initiated Precipitation Polymerization' (2025). His contributions have established an international reputation in boron and radiometal chemistry for medical applications.

Professional Email: louis.rendina@sydney.edu.au