Ms. Katerina Rizou, a 2nd year PhD student completed a two-and-a-half month Short-Term Scientific Mission at the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge. During this time, she joined the Twin4Promis advanced partner Vendruscolo Group, led by Professor Michele Vendruscolo, one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of protein misfolding and aggregation.

Katerina received training in protein purification, real-time monitoring of tau aggregation in vitro, and peptide-binding assays. The aim of her project was to investigate novel peptide inhibitors against tau aggregation using brain samples from patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Through this training, she gained crucial insights into the molecular interactions of inhibitory peptides and their potential role in modulating pathological protein aggregation.

This short-term scientific mission, as part of the Twin4Promis project, significantly contributed to Katerina’s career development and enhanced her scientific expertise. It also strengthened collaboration among the Twin4Promis partners, supporting the project’s core objective of fostering knowledge exchange and advancing research in neurodegenerative diseases.