Lavinija Matakovic is a Senior Research Assistant Technician at the LBI-NVPM, where her responsibilities include manufacturing umbilical cord–derived MSC–EVs, purifying them using tangential flow filtration (TFF), and purifying platelet-derived EVs for in vitro and in vivo preclinical experimental models. She is now applying this expertise while expanding her skills in the field of extracellular vesicles as innovative therapeutic agents. Lavinija is contributing to resolving a particularly challenging question the field is facing: “What is the mechanism of action?” She is interested in studying whether the effect is mainly mediated through a receptor-ligand interaction, or whether an uptake-independent effect represents a major first step.

She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Salzburg, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Paediatrics at Salzburg University Hospital (SALK). During her doctoral research she identified novel defects in cofactor metabolism in a unique cohort of patients with mitochondrial disorders, establishing a basis for therapeutic interventions. She previously completed two postdoctoral positions in the Netherlands in the field of stem cell research and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biological Sciences from the J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia.

“The LBI allows me to study this important research question, which is difficult to address with the current knowledge in the field. Success is not always immediately visible. Patience is my superpower”.