Paulina Avovome Saiki
Master Student (2023)
My name is Paulina. Originally from Nigeria, I came to Umea University to pursue my studies in Molecular Biology. My academic journey reached its peak with a fulfilling thesis experience at Aguilos Lab. Beyond the confines of the lab, I discovered joy in exploring the great outdoors and forming meaningful friendships.
Maria Valles Llabres
ERASMUS Bachelor Student (2023)
My name is Maria and I am from Mallorca (Spain). I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology at the University of Barcelona, where I was introduced to epigenetics and cancer. I came to Sweden as an exchange student to join the AguiloLab to carry out my degree's thesis. During these months, I have learned a lot about RNA modifications and their implications in breast cancer. Outside the lab, I enjoy running and I love travelling!
Joaquim Coloma Martínez
ERASMUS Bachelor Student (2023)
Natural from the Balearic Island of Menorca, I moved to Barcelona to carry out a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology at Universtat de Barcelona. Besides its freezing coldness Umeå was my choice for an Erasmus internship in February 2023. There, I was lucky to be part of an amazing group in Aguilo’s Lab, where I conducted my Bachelor thesis on global translation in TNBC. I am currently studying my Master’s in advanced Immunology. Apart from science I truly love all kind of sports and nature.
Carlotta Imelmann
ERASMUS Master Student (2022)
My name is Carlotta and I am from Germany. I did my Bachelor's degree in Life Science at the University of Hannover and currently I am studying my Master's in Molecular Life Sciences at the University of Hamburg. During my Master's programme I had the opportunity to do an internship abroad and I chose to research about the RNA modification m6A in ovarian cancer in Aguilo Lab. During these 4 months I learned a lot about RNA modifications and I am very grateful to all the lab members for this time. Outside the lab I enjoy to go to the gym, play Volleyball and to explore the nature on a hike.
Maria Querol Canut
ERASMUS Bachelor Student (2022)
I am from Barcelona (Spain). I am a Biochemistry Student at the University of Barcelona and I conducted my Bachelor's Thesis on ovarian cancer in AguiloLab. I have enjoyed my time in Umea to the fullest. I have gained so many cool experiences and been able to grow not only academically but also personally. I am truly thankful to all the lab members for making me feel like at home, I am sure I will come back to Sweden soon, and of course, pay a visit.
Pauline Teixeira
Master student (2022)
I am from France, where I did my B. Sc. in Life Sciences and my M. Sc. In Reproductive Biology at the University of Tours. Afterward, I came to Umeå to follow the Master’s program in Biomedicine during which I had the opportunity to join Aguilo Lab to study the role of LSD1 in stem cells. Apart from my studies, I like sports, cultural exchange, traveling, and cooking.
Alba Cortés Coego
Ph.D. student (2022)
I am from Galicia, where I did my Bachelor’s degree in biology, focusing on epigenetics and pluripotency at the University of Santiago de Compostela. I then followed a Master’s in Genetics and Genomics, where I grew interested in the RNA level of regulation, and did an internship at Roslin Institute in Edinburgh to start learning about RNA-Seq and getting insights into bioinformatics. I started my Ph.D. in the field of aging and epitranscriptomics at the Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS) and had the opportunity of joining Aguilo’s lab to keep exploring methods to decipher the role of RNA modifications and to enjoy the company of this great team. I enjoy music and dancing, discovering new places, and doing sports such as running or boxing, but I am always up to try new things.
Liv Nohrstedt
Bachelor student (2021)
I grew up in the Southern parts of Dalarna, Sweden. I then moved to Umeå where I studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine. During one of the courses, I heard about Francesca Aguilo and her research on breast cancer. When the time came, I asked if I could perform my Bachelor’s thesis in Aguilo’s lab. Apart from science, I’m a big fan of both books and films, alongside mountain biking.
Niklas Röhner
Master student (2021)
I grew up in the Black Forest, Germany. I graduated from high school with a major in biotechnology and completed my Bachelor's degree in molecular and technical medicine at Furtwangen University in Villingen-Schwenningen. For my Bachelor thesis, I worked in oncology research at the University Hospital in Freiburg, where I continued to work as a student assistant. In 2019, I moved to Umeå to start the Master's program in biomedicine. I first met Francesca Aguilo in her Biomedicine course and I am very grateful to be able to work in her lab for my Master's thesis. I enjoy hiking, traveling, and having deep conversations.
Adrián Barreno Sánchez
ERASMUS Bachelor Student (2021)
I come from Madrid (Spain), where I study my Bachelor's Degree in Health Biology at the University of Alcalá. As a part of the Erasmus+ Exchange Programme, I am performing my last year of Bachelor's in Umeå, where I have expanded my knowledge in the fields of Molecular and Tumour Biology. Currently, I am carrying out my Research Project and Thesis in Aguilo's lab, where I aim to elucidate the role of the mRNA methylation machinery in ovarian cancer. In my free time, I love traveling, mountain biking, and hiking.
Bachelor student (2020)
I come from Spain, where I was doing my Bachelor's Degree in Biology at the University of Alcalá de Henares in Madrid. I came to Umeå as an exchange student to finish my degree and the thesis by joining the Aguilo lab, where I have been investigating m6A machinery in ovarian cancer. Apart from science, I like photography, sports, and traveling.
María Rayón
Eva Rodríguez
Master student (2019-2020)
I am from Spain, where I studied for my B.Sc in Health Biology at University of Alcalá (Madrid). In the last year of my B.Sc I decided to participate in an exchange program in Umeå, where I did my Bachelor´s thesis in microbiology. Then, I started my M.Sc in Molecular Biology at Umeå University and I had the opportunity to be part of Aguilo’s Lab, where I investigated the role of m6A RNA modifications in ovarian cancer. I love traveling and winter sports.
Suleyman Seddiqzai
Erasmus Master student (2019-2020)
I am currently studying M.Sc. Molecular biology in Düsseldorf, Germany and joined Francesca Aguilo´s lab for an Erasmus exchange to do a one-semester-project. During my B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies in Düsseldorf and in Oslo, Norway, my main interest lies in the cancer biology research. Here in Umeå I am investigating the protein-protein interactions in breast cancer cell lines on an epigenetic background. In my free time I enjoy doing different sports, such as playing tennis, swimming or bouldering. Also, the diverse Scandinavian landscape gives me a lot of possibilities to travel and hike.
Amela Jusic
Exchange student-STSM Epitran COST Action (2019)
I am a Biologist with a Ph.D. degree in human molecular genetics and an academic employee with 15 years of teaching and research experience. I currently work as an associate professor at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. My research interests include molecular genetics of human diseases in general, genetic epidemiology, transcriptomics, non-coding RNAs, and biomarkers. I am active in science communication and networking through participation in several COST Actions and scientific projects.
Eliana Destefanis
Exchange student-STSM Epitran COST Action (2019)
I am from Italy and I got my Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology at the University of Genoa. After my graduation in 2017, I moved to the University of Trento where I’m attending the MSc in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology. During this interdisciplinary Master's course, my interest in the analysis of high throughput sequencing data has grown and so, for my Master thesis and internship, I’m carrying on a computational-molecular biology research project where I’m performing an integrated analysis of m6A epitranscriptomic modifications in human cancers. In my free time, I like traveling, sailing, and music.
Anthony Shoukat
Master student (2019)
I have completed my BSC (Hons) in Molecular Biotechnology from Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) Lahore, Pakistan. Afterward, I came to Sweden to do Master Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Skovde, Sweden. I wanted to learn about Epigenetics and I joined Francesca’s Lab.
Snigdha Rao
Master student (2018)
Snigdha N. Rao has pursued her MSc in Molecular Biology at Umeå University, Sweden. She worked on her Master's thesis project with Dr. Aguilo and worked mainly on generating tagged zinc finger protein 217 stable breast cancer and mammalian epithelial cell lines. She holds a Bachelor in Engineering in Biotechnology from M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India. She has her schooling in Sydney, Hong Kong, and Bangalore. Snigdha loves taking nature photography and reading fiction. She has taken basic classes in western classical piano and Hindustani classical vocal music.
Maren Prüfer
Erasmus student (2018)
Justus Liebig University in Giessen (Germany)
Lev Malishevskii
IFMSA exchange student (2018)
Lev is a student of the 5th year in the Tyumen State Medical University, General Medicine Faculty. He also works in the Tyumen Cardiology Research Center as a scientific researcher. The main spheres of interests are Interventional cardio-surgery and regenerative medicine.
Andreas Gunnarson
Master student (2017)
Now at UmanDiagnostics, Umeå.