Scientific background
First, I obtained my BSc and MSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Osijek in Croatia. Then I studied Molecular Biology at the University of Salzburg in Austria, where I obtained my PhD degree under the supervision of Dr. Johannes Mayr. At that time, my work was mainly focused on mitochondrial disease. During my studies, I became interested in the nonsense mutation-induced genetic disorders and joined the group of Dr. Sven van Ijzendoorn at the UMCG Groningen in the Netherlands. As a postdoctoral fellow in the group, I started working on nonsense-suppression therapy for hereditary thrombophilia and haemophilia. During my postdoc, I became intrigued by the field of RNA-based therapeutics and I jumped at the opportunity to join the research group of Dr. Collin and Dr. Garanto at the RadboudUMC in Nijmegen as a postdoctoral fellow. Currently, I am working on the development of the antisense-mediated splicing modulation therapy for EYS-associated retinal dystrophy.
Hobbies outside science
I my free time I enjoy cooking for my family. I am a big fan of taking long walks in nature.