Laboratory for extracellular vesicle research
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Team
Assoc. Prof. Metka Lenassi, PhD — Principal Investigator
Assist. Teja Lavrin, PhD — Postdoctoral Researcher
Samuel Žvanut — PhD Student
Matija Perović — PhD Student
Affiliated PhD Students:
Maja Vodušek — PhD Student, University Medical Centre Ljubljana; mentored by Prof. Miha Arnol, MD, PhD, and Assoc. Prof. Metka Lenassi, PhD
Tina Pavlin, MD — PhD Student, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana; mentored by Assoc. Prof. Boštjan Šeruga, MD, PhD, and Assoc. Prof. Metka Lenassi, PhD
Eva Drmota, MD — PhD Student, University Medical Centre Ljubljana; mentored by Prof. Miha Lučovnik, MD, PhD, and Assoc. Prof. Metka Lenassi, PhD
Metka Lenassi
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Principal Investigator
E-mail:
ORCID
LinkedIn
ResearchGate
SiN-EV Network
Metka Lenassi, PhD, is Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, where she leads the Laboratory for Extracellular Vesicle Research. Her research uses HIV infection as a model system to investigate the cellular mechanisms that regulate EV biogenesis and function. In parallel, she develops methodologies for EV research and collaborates closely with clinical partners to advance the use of EVs as biomarkers in clinically relevant diseases. She has led nationally funded research projects, serves as President of the Slovenian Network for Extracellular Vesicles (SiN-EV), and previously held leadership positions within the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV).
Please find the full CV here.
PUBLICATIONS
Author's publications in PubMed.
Teja Lavrin
Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail:
LinkedIn
Teja Lavrin, PhD, is a researcher at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She completed her PhD in 2026 under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Metka Lenassi, PhD. Her doctoral research focused on extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cells expressing the HIV protein Nef and their potential contribution to Nef-mediated neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. Her broader research interests include EV biomarker research and fungal EVs, a long-standing research area in the Lenassi’s laboratory. Her current research at the Laboratory for Extracellular Vesicles Research focuses on the effects of Nef-containing EVs on neural progenitor cell differentiation. She also contributes to practical courses in the study programs at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana.
EDUCATION
PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2026)
MSc in Microbiology (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2018)
BSc in Microbiology (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2015)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2026 - present)
Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2019 - present)
PhD student, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2019 - 2026)
Research Technician, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2018 - 2019)
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
• 56th Krka Prizes (2026) – Recognition for doctoral thesis work
• Commendation for five best microbiological Master degrees of 2018, Slovenian Microbiological Society (SMD; 2019)
• Prešeren award of Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 2018
PUBLICATIONS
Author's publication in PubMed and Sicris.
Samuel Žvanut
PhD student
E-mail:
LinkedIn
Samuel Žvanut joined the Laboratory for Extracellular Vesicle Research as a master’s student in Molecular and Functional Biology at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. In his master’s thesis, he focused on optimizing an ELISA-based method for the quantification of the HIV-1 Nef protein. In parallel, he completed a research internship at the Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, France, where he explored the effects of Nef-containing EVs on neural stem cell homeostasis. Samuel is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Ljubljana under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Metka Lenassi, PhD. His main area of interest is the biology of EVs in the nervous system, specifically in the context of HIV persistence in the brain. Using an in vitro microglial cell system with an inducible, stably integrated Nef transgene, he is investigating the role of Nef-containing EVs in microglial inflammation and senescence.
EDUCATION
MSc in Molecular and Functional Biology (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2023)
BSc in Biology (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2020)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Research Assistant, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2023 - present)
Research Intern, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, France (March 2023 – July 2023)
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
• 54th Krka Prizes (2024) – Recognition for master’s thesis work
• 52nd Krka Prizes (2022) – Recognition for research project
PUBLICATIONS
Author's publication in Sicris.
Matija Perović
PhD student
Email:
Matija Perović is pursuing a PhD at the Laboratory of Extracellular Vesicles under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Metka Lenassi, PhD. He is interested in understanding how Nef-containing EVs modulate microglial functional states, with a particular focus on senescence, and how this contributes to neuroinflammation in an in vivo model. During his Master’s degree, he explored the diversity and evolution of the red panda amdoparvovirus and the red panda faecal virome in European zoos, as well as secondary messenger expression in Bordatellae.
EDUCATION
M.Sc. in Microbiology (Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana (2024-2026))
B.Sc. in Biology (Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor (2020-2024))
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Research Assistant (Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2026 – present))
Research Trainee (Laboratory of Infection Biology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (2024))
Maja Vodušek
PhD student
E-mail:
LinkedIn
Maja Vodušek has an MSc in Microbiology and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana and the University of Ljubljana. She is working under the mentorship of Professor Miha Arnol, MD, PhD, and Associate Professor Metka Lenassi, PhD, with a focus on advancing knowledge in nephrology and kidney transplantation. Her research focuses on the identification and characterization of novel, non-invasive urinary biomarkers of kidney allograft injury. In particular, she is interested in urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) and their cargo properties, with a specific focus on membrane proteins reflecting their kidney-specific cellular origin. By characterizing these vesicle-associated markers, her work aims to improve the early and non-invasive detection of kidney allograft injury in transplant recipients and to provide greater insight into the underlying mechanisms of graft injury.
EDUCATION
MSc in Microbiology (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2021)
BSc in Microbiology (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2018)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PhD student, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Clinical Department of Nephrology and Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2023 - present)
Teaching Assistant, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biotechnology, Chair of Genetics, Animal Biotechnology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2022-2023)
Teaching Assistant, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Microbiology, Chair of Microbial Diversity, Microbiomics and Biotechnology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (2021-2022)
PUBLICATIONS
Author's publication in Sicris.
Former Team Members:
Mirijam Kozorog, PhD
Marija Holcar, PhD
Ivica Marić, MD, PhD (defended in 2025)
David Badovinac, MD, PhD (defended in 2024)
Jana Ferdin, PhD
Pia Pužar Dominkuš, PhD
Damian Kasiński (visiting student)
Tecla Marangon (visiting student)
Maša Kandušer, PhD
Anja Kejžar, PhD (defended in 2015)
Tilen Konte, PhD
Maja Svetličič
Nina Mavec
Špela Kos