
Place and date of birth
Split, January 3rd, 1985
Education
- 2015. PhD (natural sciences, field of biology – molecular biology): “Regulation of urokinase plasminogen activator system in tumor cells”. Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Maja Matulić, PhD Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2009. Bachelor of Science (module: molecular biology): “Quantitative analysis of aggregation of human recombinant proteins”. Supervisors: Mario Cindrić, PhD; Assoc. Prof. Ita Gruić Sovulj, PhD. Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb / Research Institute PLIVA Ltd, Zagreb, Croatia
Work Experience
- 2022 – present. Scientific Associate, Biochemistry and Organic Analytical Chemistry Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health (IMROH), Zagreb, Croatia
Analyzing the cellular effects of oximes, antidotes for organophosphorus poisoning.
- 2020 – 2022. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biochemistry and Organic Analytical Chemistry Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health (IMROH), Zagreb, Croatia
Analyzing the cellular effects of bispyridinium- and imidazolium-based oximes, antidotes for organophosphorus poisoning.
- 2019 – 2020. University Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Reconstructive Sciences, Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, United States
Lead investigator on NIH-funded project “Growth factor based enhancement of bone repair” – conducting studies on the regulation of osteoblast differentiation by growth factors and cytokines with the purpose of devising new therapeutic approaches in bone healing.
- 2016 – 2018. Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Senior Teaching Assistant, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
Designing and validating CRISPR/dCas9-based epigenetic editors targeting genes involved in IgG glycosylation and chronic inflammatory disease development.
- 2015 – 2016. Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Senior Teaching Assistant, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
Researching the role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the processes of differentiation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of neuroblastoma and glioblastoma tumors. Analyzing the anticancer effects of natural bioactive compounds.
- 2009 – 2015. PhD student/Teaching Assistant, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
Studying the regulation of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) system in tumor cells, developing the therapeutic approaches in the treatment of invasive tumor growth and metastasis by uPA activity modulation.
- 2008. Graduate student, Bioanalytical Laboratory, Research Institute PLIVA Ltd, Zagreb, Croatia
Researching the process of recombinant human protein rHuG-CSF (Neupogen®) aggregation by orthogonal size-exclusion chromatography and field-flow fractionation techniques.
Awards
- 2019. ICGEB Grant Award for the participation in Course “Flow cytometry: from basic principles to advanced applications – CytoFluo@ICGEB”
- 2018. Faculty of Science Council Award for the achieved results in scientific and professional work
- 2017. Annual Award of The society of university teachers, scholars and other scientists in Zagreb for the best scientific article in the field of biology
- 2014. International Society for Ethnopharmacology (ISE) Travel grant for the participation at the International Congress 14th ISE Puerto Varas, Chile
- 2012. Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Travel grant for the participation at the FEBS3+ International meeting, Opatija, Croatia
- 2008. PLIVA’s Scholarship
- 2004. Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports – State Scholarship
Other
Project participation
- 2020 – present. “Molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of antidotes and potential drugs (CellToxTargets)”: funded by Croatian Science Foundation (UIP-2017-05-7260) / PI: Maja Katalinić, PhD / IMROH, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2019-2020. “Growth Factor Based Enhancement of Bone Repair”: funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH, R01AR070813) / PI: Prof. Ivo Kalajzic, PhD, MD / UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, United States
- 2018-2019. “SafeFood – Toxicological assessment of toxins in food”: funded by bilateral scientific and research cooperation with Slovenia (HR-SLO 2018-2019) / PIs: Goran Gajski, PhD / IMROH, Zagreb, Croatia and Asst. Prof. Bojana Žegura, PhD / National Institute of Biology (NIB), Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2017-2018. “Comprehensive Toolbox for Epigenetic Modulation of Gene Expression”: funded by CRP-ICGEB Research Grant Programme / PI: Prof. Vlatka Zoldoš, PhD / Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2017-2018. “Scientific Center of Excellence for Personalized Healthcare”: funded by European Structural and Investment Fund / PI: Prof. Vlatka Zoldoš, PhD / Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2017-2018. “Development and validation of molecular tools for epigenetic engineering and gene regulation”: short-term financial support for research (PP1.51) / PI: Asst. Prof. Aleksandar Vojta, PhD / Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2016-2018. “Epigenetic regulation of immunoglobulin G glycosylation (EpiGlycoIgG)”: funded by Croatian Science Foundation (IP-2013-11-3361) / PI: Prof. Vlatka Zoldoš, PhD / Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2014-2015. “Regulatory transcription during cell cycle”: short-term financial support for research (PP1.51) / PI: Assoc. Prof. Petra Korać, PhD / Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2013-2014. “Maintaining cell identity by balancing key protein components”: short-term financial support for research (4.1.1.5) / PI: Assoc. Prof. Maja Matulić, PhD / Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2009.-2014. “Poly(ADPribosyl)ation, senescence and plasminogen activation in tumor cells”: funded by Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (119-0000000-3172) / PI: Assoc. Prof. Maja Matulić, PhD / Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia
Visits to foreign research institutions
- June 2019.- August 2020. Department of Reconstructive Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, United States (host Prof. Ivo Kalajzic, PhD, MD)
- March 2019. Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology (NIB), Ljubljana, Slovenia (host Asst. Prof. Bojana Žegura, PhD)
Courses and workshops
- 2020. course “Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Disease Training”, Farmington, United States
- 2020. course “UConn Laboratory Safety Training”, Farmington, United States
- 2019. course “UConn IACUC Animal User Training”, Farmington, United States
- 2019. ICGEB Course “Flow cytometry: from basic principles to advanced applications – CytoFluo@ICGEB”, Trieste, Italy
- 2016. OPERRA Training Course “PCR-based Techniques in Radiobiology and Low-Dose Risk Research”, Budapest, Hungary
- 2014. The InnoMol Bioimaging Workshop, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2014. IntegraLife Workshop “Scientific publishing and intellectual property protection in life sciences”, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2014. workshop – “HDIR: Molecular modelling”, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2014. workshop – “Mendeley”, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2010. workshop – “UMNA-Fundamentals of writing about your research”, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2010. workshop – “UMNA-Fundamentals of speaking about your research”, Zagreb, Croatia
Other
- published a total of 19 original scientific articles (first or corresponding author in 9)
- reviewer for international scientific journals Chemosphere, Medicine, BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology, Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology and Periodicum Biologorum
- actively participated in teaching at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb in undergraduate and graduate university courses. Received excellent ratings for teaching activity by the institutional evaluation
- represented PhD students in University and Faculty councils
- co-mentored graduate student theses
- active in the popularization of science, participated in events such as „Noć biologije“, „Smotra Sveučilišta“ and „Ljetna škola znanosti“
- an active member of several international and domestic scientific organizations
- computer skills include Microsoft Office™, Mendeley, EndNote, Photoshop, ImageJ, GraphPad, Statistica, SnapGene
- University of Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) Certificate