The main goal of my research is to develop and systematically compare advanced in vitro models that mimic the lung microenvironment using Organ-on-a-Chip platforms. I aim to identify the model that best reproduces key physiological and biochemical features of lung tissue, including epithelial barrier integrity, cellular differentiation, and immune interactions. My approach integrates microfluidic engineering with cell biology to recreate essential aspects of the pulmonary niche, including air-liquid interface, co-culture systems and mechanical stimulation that mimics breathing. The selected Lung-on-a-Chip model will be further optimized and applied to study disease-related mechanisms, contributing to more predictive and physiologically relevant in vitro systems for respiratory research.
Apart from science, I enjoy baking (usually to the benefit of my labmates), attending concerts, and occasionally doing nothing – preferably in the company of my cat.