Katerina Rizou, 2nd year PhD student at the Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming” and the Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, recently completed a two-month Short-Term Scientific Mission at the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge. During this period, she joined the Vendruscolo Group, an internationally leading team in the study of protein misfolding and aggregation.
Her mission focused on exploring novel peptide inhibitors against tau aggregation using brain samples from Alzheimer’s disease patients. Katerina received intensive training in protein purification techniques, real-time monitoring of tau aggregation in vitro, and peptide-binding assays, gaining crucial insights into the molecular interactions between inhibitory peptides and the protein.
Reflecting on her experience, Katerina noted: “Under the invaluable mentorship of Michele Vendruscolo, I acquired essential insights and hands-on experience that are going to be directly applied to my ongoing PhD research. The dynamic environment at Cambridge provided access to cutting-edge techniques and fresh perspectives, particularly enhancing my understanding of protein aggregation kinetics.”
This training mission substantially strengthened Katerina’s scientific expertise, bridging experimental research with translational applications in neurodegenerative disease. We are proud to support young researchers in advancing their careers through international collaboration, skill development, and knowledge exchange at world-class institutions.