N. Ring - A screen is only the beginning Regenerative Medicine and Gene Therapy

Nadja Ring completed her masters in Human biology at the Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, with a focus on molecular biology and genetics. Her passion for translational research and using science to improve health and wellbeing brought her to ICGEB, Trieste for her PhD in molecular biology. Here, Nadja Ring used high throughput screening to identify microRNAs able to combat cellular senescence, in the search of possible biotherapeutics to be used in aging related diseases. In her current position as a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Serena Zacchigna in ICGEB, Nadja Ring has continued to use high throughput screening to identify therapeutic solutions for a range of diseases, while also supervising PhD projects and being in charge of screening facility use for the group. Her main project is a transdisciplinary approach combining high throughput screening data with collaborations in machine learning and chemical compound synthesis. This has led to the identification of a novel compound which acts as a powerful anti-fibrotic drug in a mouse model of lung fibrosis. In addition to research, Nadja Ring also seeks to foster science diplomacy, by contributing to interregional projects, international workshops and outreach programs.