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 Loughborough University. Her PhD research, supervised by Prof Jonathan Folland and Dr Jakob Škarabot and funded by the National Rehabilitation Centre and Loughborough University, 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 Loughborough University and three NHS Trust sites (Leicester, Coventry, and Birmingham), also explores the neural and muscular mechanisms underpinning any functional improvements. At Loughborough University, 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). The modulation of human motoneuron discharge patterns with contraction force in resistance- and endurance-trained individuals. 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). Motor unit discharge properties of the vastii muscles and their modulation with contraction level depend on the knee-joint angle. 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). The Efficiency of Manual Editing of High-Density Surface Electromyogram Decomposition Depends on the Recorded Muscle and Contraction Level but Less on the Operator's Experience. 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). Motor unit discharge rate modulation during isometric contractions to failure is intensity- and modality-dependent. 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). Comparison of Blood Flow Restriction Interventions to Standard Rehabilitation After an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Systematic Review. 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). Efficacy of cooling vests based on different heat-extraction concepts: The HEAT-SHIELD project. 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). Intraocular pressure during handgrip exercise: The effect of posture and hypercapnia in young males. Physiological Reports, 9(20), e15035. DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15035
- Ciuha, U., Valenčič, T., & Mekjavic, I. B. (2021). Cooling efficiency of vests with different cooling concepts over 8-hour trials. Ergonomics, 64(5), 625–639. DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2020.1853820