I have been actively working in the field of biological barriers for over 30 years. I am leading the Biological Barriers Research Group at BRC which developed complex culture models of the blood-brain barrier to investigate cellular interactions in physiological and pathological conditions, barrier protective molecules, drug and BBB-targeted nanoparticle delivery. Our current interests include microfluidic organ-on-chip models. I supervised and helped the work of over 50 graduate and PhD students and postdocs. With my team we have accepted and trained early career researchers from a dozen countries.
I would like to contribute to the work of IBBS mainly on two areas. One of my goal is to help the work and integration of researchers in the CNS barriers field from areas less represented in the IBBS like Asian, Central and Eastern European countries, based on my long standing cooperation and networks. My second aim is to provide mentorship for young BBB researchers who transition from PhD students to postdoctoral fellows or establish their own groups. I would like to organize a network of mentors and help early career members to get leadership and other vital skills to succeed.
