Mrs. Effie Karyda, a junior PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Georgios Skretas, is currently visiting the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research in Belgium for a three-month Short-Term Scientific Mission. During this time, she is joining the Switch Laboratory, guided by two leading scientists in the field of protein misfolding and aggregation, Dr. Joost Schymkowitz and Dr. Frederic Rousseau.
Effie is receiving training in biophysics techniques aimed at studying protein-protein interactions and aggregation. Her goal is to identify new small cyclic peptides that inhibit the aggregation of crystallins, the most significant proteins in the human eye lens, implicated in the development of cataracts. The Switch Laboratory provides Effie access to their fully equipped biophysics platform, allowing her to advance her PhD research and support her scientific findings with the use of the latest technological equipment. In addition, Effie is participating in other scientific projects of the Switch Laboratory and exploring different aspects of pathological protein aggregation.
This short-term scientific mission, as part of the Twin4Promis project, is significantly contributing to Effie’s career development and enhancing her scientific expertise. It also strengthens the collaboration between the National Hellenic Research Foundation and the Twin4Promis advanced partner, Switch Lab at VIB. This partnership is instrumental in establishing a new hub of excellence in research, training, and innovation focused on protein misfolding diseases. Notably, this mission marks the second short-term scientific mission of the Twin4Promis project, underscoring our ongoing commitment to fostering international research collaboration. As Effie herself remarks, “This is a great opportunity for me to meet other scientists in my field, gain scientific knowledge, exchange ideas, and most importantly, become acquainted with other laboratories’ methods and practices.”
On behalf of Twin4Promis, we are proud to support the development of young scientists like Effie and to foster international collaboration that drives forward the frontiers of research and innovation in the field of protein misfolding diseases. We look forward to the continued advancements and discoveries that emerge from this partnership.
