Biography

Katja Šuster is a Research Associate at Valdoltra Orthopaedic Hospital and Head of the research group at TIMTEC Defense d.o.o. in Slovenia. She specializes in biofilm and bacteriophage research in medicine. Her journey into the field began in 2010 during an Erasmus internship at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, where she first explored the potential of bacteriophages as expression vectors during phage display of VHH antibodies. She earned her MSc in Biotechnology from the University of Ljubljana in 2012 and was subsequently awarded a Young Researcher Fellowship by the Slovenian Research Agency, working on pioneering projects involving the medical applications of bacteriophages. In 2019, she completed her PhD in Biomedicine (Genetics) at the University of Ljubljana. Katja has been recognized for her contributions to the field with two Jacques Duparc Awards at the EFORT Congresses in 2017 (Vienna) and 2022 (Lisbon). She has been the recipient of several prestigious grants, including an Erasmus+ grant, a National Ph.D. grant (2012-2019), a Post-Doctoral grant (2022-2024), a Fulbright grant (2023), and a Bilateral Project grant (2024-2026). As a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of California, San Diego in 2023, she further developed her research expertise and expanded her professional network. Proficient in Slovenian, Italian, and English, Katja has actively contributed to various European Interreg and national projects, demonstrating a commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering international collaboration.