Nino Pochkhidze
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Ivane Beritashvili center of Experimental Biomedicine; Ilia State University
I am a Neuroscientist affiliated with the Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine and Ilia State University. My research lies at the intersection of neurochemistry and cellular neuroscience, focusing on addiction mechanisms and environmental stressors. Specifically, I investigate behavioral alterations in animal models and the ultrastructural brain changes induced by chronic white noise exposure. I am eager to connect with the FEBS community to explore scientific collaborations in molecular neuroscience and behavioral biology.
Christopher Sand
Student B.Sc ,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrecht-University
Mohamed Esmat
MSc. Cancer Biology — Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at NCI, Cairo University
Cancer Biology & Immunology Researcher | MSc. Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University
Interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of cancer biology, cancer immunology, molecular biology, and multi-omics. My research interests focus on T-cell biology, tumor–immune interactions, tumor microenvironment, immune cell plasticity, and molecular mechanisms shaping cancer progression and therapeutic response.
I combine computational analysis, literature-based research, and hypothesis-driven approaches to investigate regulatory mechanisms in cancer and immunity, with a growing focus on integrating these approaches with experimental cancer research.
I am also engaged in Open Science, preprints, open-source research tools, and community peer review, with an interest in reproducible and accessible biomedical research.
Balcu Antonia-Ioana
Medical Student, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca
Mariana Costa-Macedo
MSc Student, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute - University of Minho
Mariana Costa-Macedo is an MSc student in Biomedicine at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)/School of Medicine, University of Minho. She completed her BSc in Biochemistry at the School of Sciences, University of Minho (2025), where her passion for science and biomedical research was consolidated. During her master's programme, she has expanded her expertise in oncology, genetics, immunology, and translational biomedical sciences. Throughout her academic journey, her research has focused on investigating the therapeutic potential of novel compounds in colorectal and pancreatic cancer, and more recently, on glioblastoma. These experiences have enabled her to develop strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills within multidisciplinary research environments.
Currently, Mariana is developing her master's thesis titled "Exploiting therapeutic vulnerabilities associated with HOXA9 and WNT6 co-expression in glioblastoma", supervised by Doctor Bruno M. Costa and Doctor Eduarda P. Martins at ICVS. This project aims to test whether a new therapeutic approach consisting of HOXA9/WNT6 dual inhibition is effective in GBM cell cultures and whether it can enhance immunotherapy efficacy.
Alongside her academic training, Mariana is actively involved in scientific outreach. She is a member of the Imaging and Outreach team of the Junior Section of the Portuguese Biochemical Society (SPB-JS) and has collaborated in the organization of ENEBIOQ'25 in Braga and the I Young Biochemist Meeting in Coimbra. Motivated by curiosity, she aspires to pursue a career in scientific research, contributing to innovative projects that bridge fundamental discoveries and clinical applications.
