Vesna Jurjevič: MAGE protein research
The American-Slovenian Educational Foundation (ASEF) in cooperation with the Student Organization of the Faculty of Biotechnics is organizing the second in a series of semi-scientific lectures highlighting cancer research from a biological perspective. The lecture will be given on Thursday, 5 December at 6 pm by Vesna Jurjevič, MSc in Molecular and Functional Biology at the Faculty of Biotechnics, University of Ljubljana, and ASEF Generation 2024 Fellow. The lecture is entitled "Exploring MAGE proteins?" and will take place at the Faculty of Biotechnics in lecture room B5 (Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana).
REGISTER
Registration for the lecture is required by 5 December, no later than 5 pm.
REGISTRATION FOR THE LECTURE https://shorturl.at/ref8F
ABOUT THE LECTURE
Melanoma Antigen Gene (MAGE) family proteins have been studied by scientists for more than 40 years, as they are often associated with aggressive cancers. Although their exact functions are still only partially understood, they play an important role in tumour cell survival, immune evasion and therapy resistance, making them crucial in cancer research. This summer, Vesna had the opportunity to spend two months working and researching MAGE proteins with the Fon Tacer team at the College of Veterinary Medicine, TTU SVM, Texas. In this talk, she will present her research experience from the perspective of lab work and learning about America. In addition, she will also present part of her MSc thesis, which involves determining the function of a specific MAGE protein and its contribution to cancer development.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Vesna Jurjevič holds a Master's degree in Molecular and Functional Biology from the Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Ljubljana. She is currently working on her Master's thesis under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Breznik from the National Institute of Biology in Ljubljana, where she is studying the role of the melanoma antigen MAGEC2 protein in glioblastoma and the anti-tumour immune response. Originally from Kamnik, in her free time she enjoys spending time in nature with friends or working in the education department of the Ljubljana Zoo, where she leads guided tours and teaches visitors about different animal species and nature conservation.
ASEF Young Minds is a series of popular science lectures by young people that encourages them to present their research work and their experiences under the ASEF Fellowship Programme in a way that is accessible and understandable to the general public. ASEF partners the project with local organisations working in the places where the lecturers come from. The aim of this cooperation is to connect and integrate young educated people into the local Slovenian environment.
ASEF connects and unites Slovenian scientists and academics around the world.
The project is supported by the Slovenian Office for Youth and the Slovenian Government Office for Slovenians Abroad.