In high school, I joined a research project on plant-bacteria genomics with one of my best friends. Working together, learning, and becoming part of an inspiring community set me up on my scientific journey.

 

I went to the Budapest University of Technology and Economics to study Biochemical Engineering. Before completing my Master’s, I joined Professor Tibor Zelles’s Hearing Research Laboratory. My thesis focused on the calcium signalling of Deiters’ cells in the inner ear and the effects of an immune checkpoint inhibitor on hearing.

 

To try myself outside of academia, I joined BioTalentum Ltd. as a junior researcher after graduation. I started working with human iPSC-derived neuronal and glial cells and optimising high-content imaging. It was also where I first discovered the field of oligonucleotide research, which sparked my curiosity and inspired me to apply to the EFFecT consortium.

 

I am now a PhD candidate at the University of Trento, under the supervision of Professor Michela A. Denti in the Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology. My project focuses on developing ASO- and chimeric U snRNA-based therapies for regulating mRNA splicing in Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

 

When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy bouldering, and on weekends, you will usually find me hiking or rock climbing nearby.

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DC8: Design and Evaluation of Therapeutic Antisense Oligonucleotides (ASOs) for Neurodegenerative Diseases

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Supervisor: Prof. Michela A. Denti
External mentor: Prof. S. Andersson

Host Institute: Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Italy (www.cibio.unitn.it)

Secondments planned: Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands; Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain

Doctoral program: University of Trento, PhD School in Biomolecular Sciences

Starting date: October 13th, 2025

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Project description:

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This project focuses on the development and evaluation of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and chimeric U snRNA-based antisense RNAs as splice-switching therapeutical approaches for neurodegenerative diseases. The research will be performed at the Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology of the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology of the University of Trento. Hosted in a Department with state-of-art facilities, the research group has extensive expertise in RNA Therapeutics development and evaluation. The research group has established a High Content screening method for the development of splice-switching ASOs and is employing human iPSC-derived and murine models of neurodegenerative diseases. More information about the Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology can be found here.

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The project will design ASOs and chimeric U snRNA-based antisense RNAs aiming at regulating splicing of mRNAs involved in Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. High-content screening platforms will be set up and used to screen for the most promising candidates, whose efficiency will then be evaluated in advanced cellular models, including iPSC-derived neurons. The project includes international secondments for additional training and expertise. At Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands, the candidate will gain experience in culturing iPSCs and delivering ASOs to the iPSC-derived neurons. At Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain, ASO candidates’ efficiency will be evaluated via in-cell western and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). An additional secondment will be tailored to the candidate’s specific research needs.