Tamara's academic path began in Slovenia, where she obtained her undergraduate degree in kinesiology from the University of Ljubljana (2019) and worked as a research assistant in an Environmental Physiology and Ergonomics Laboratory at the Jožef Stefan Institute (2019-2020). She then completed her MSc in Exercise Physiology (2021) and PhD in Neuromuscular Physiology (2025) at ľƵ. Her PhD research, supervised by Prof Jonathan Folland and Dr Jakob Škarabot and funded by the National Rehabilitation Centre and ľƵ, focused on understanding the long-term effects of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a hamstring tendon graft on neural control of the knee extensor and flexor muscles.
Currently, Tamara works as a research associate on the STIM-HD project - a large, multi-site, NIHR-funded randomised control trial investigating whether 12 weeks of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the quadriceps during haemodialysis dialysis can improve strength, physical function, and quality of life in chronic kidney disease patients with sarcopenia. The project, led by the University of Leicester in collaboration with ľƵ and three NHS Trust sites (Leicester, Coventry, and Birmingham), also explores the neural and muscular mechanisms underpinning any functional improvements. At ľƵ, Tamara works alongside Prof Jonathan P. Folland, Dr Jakob Škarabot, and Doctoral Researcher Ms Meghan Tanel.
Featured publications
- Škarabot, J., Thomason, H., Nazaroff, B. M., Connelly, C. D., Valenčič, T., Ho, M. L., Tyagi, K., Beauchamp, J. A., & Pearcey, G. E. P. (2026). . Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 10.1152/japplphysiol.00835.2025. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00835.2025
- Valenčič, T., Maeo, S., Kluzek, S., Holobar, A., Škarabot, J., & Folland, J. P. (2026). . Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 140(1), 322–337. DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00951.2024
- Murks, N., Skarabot, J., Kramberger, M., Divjak, M., Sedej, G., Valencic, T., Connelly, C. D., Thomason, H., & Holobar, A. (2025). . IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 33, 3367–3376. DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2025.3600755
- Valenčič, T., Ansdell, P., Brownstein, C. G., Spillane, P. M., Holobar, A., & Škarabot, J. (2024). . The Journal of Physiology, 602(10), 2287–2314. DOI: 10.1113/JP286143
- Colombo, V., Valenčič, T., Steiner, K., Škarabot, J., Folland, J., O'Sullivan, O., & Kluzek, S. (2024). . The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(14), 3641–3650. DOI: 10.1177/03635465241232002
- Ciuha, U., Valenčič, T., Ioannou, L. G., & Mekjavic, I. B. (2023). . Journal of Thermal Biology, 112, 103442. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103442
- Mlinar, T., Jaki Mekjavic, P., Royal, J. T., Valencic, T., & Mekjavic, I. B. (2021). . Physiological Reports, 9(20), e15035. DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15035
- Ciuha, U., Valenčič, T., & Mekjavic, I. B. (2021). . Ergonomics, 64(5), 625–639. DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2020.1853820