Veronika Bračič Successfully Concludes Her Research Visit at King’s College London
Veronika Bračič, ASEF Junior Fellow 2024, recently completed her research visit at King’s College London under the mentorship of Prof Dr Jernej Ule.
During her visit she joined the project of a postdoctoral researcher Llywelyn Griffith, PhD, who is trying to unravel the mechanisms promoting shortening of 3′ UTRs in cancer cells. Shorter mRNAs are more stable and can lead to oncogene activation, hence understanding the processes that lead to this phenomenon is crucial for discovering new therapeutic approaches. Additionally, Veronika has collaborated with a PhD student Michelle Gottlieb-Marra, who is investigating the mechanisms regulating RNA translation in neurodegenerative diseases. As a part of her project, she first encountered induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and followed their differentiation from iPSCs into neurons.
“I learnt so many things during my visit, but what I appreciate most is that I encountered a lot of new techniques, improved the ones I already knew and broadened my horizons – both scientific and personal. I am confident that the skills I have acquired here will serve me well in the future and I will look back on my time in the London lab with fond memories.”
Outside the lab, Veronika spent her time exploring the city, where she visited many museums and galleries, took a pottery class, listened to a concert at the Proms Festival, browsed in various bookshops and attended a social gathering of Slovenians living in the UK, organised by the VTIS association. She also visited the student city of Oxford, the seaside towns of Margate and Brighton, and took a longer trip to Edinburgh to enjoy the August Fringe Festival.
“Before I came to London, I set myself the goal of thoroughly exploring the city and understanding how the locals live. Through my internship in the lab, I experienced the working culture, while the variety of leisure activities gave me an insight into all the possibilities that living in such a big city brings. I was pleasantly surprised by the proximity to nature, where you could get away from the daily hustle and bustle of the city, and I deeply enjoyed exploring different parks in London – I was particularly fond of the foxes that lived around my house. I did a variety of things in my spare time, which, alongside the interesting research work, gave me a holistic experience and made the research visit unforgettable.”
Veronika is immensely grateful to Dr Jernej Ule for the opportunity and his warm welcome, to Dr Llywelyn Griffith and Michelle Gottlieb-Marra for their kindness and help with the projects, and to the whole research team at King’s College London for interesting discussions and an enjoyable laboratory experience.
We congratulate Veronika on the successful completion of her research visit and wish her all the best in her future research projects!
We also thank the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, the Office for Youth and all ASEF donors for supporting the work of ASEF and our Junior Fellows.