Katarina Elez
PhD student in bioinformatics @ Free University of Berlin
Katarina Elez
/kah-tah-REE-nah EH-lez/
Room OG 104
Arnimallee 12
14195 Berlin, Germany
I am an early-career researcher in drug discovery, with 5+ years of experience conducting and analyzing large-scale molecular simulations for medicinal chemistry and developing deep learning models for protein structure representation.
Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in the Artificial Intelligence for the Sciences group at Free University of Berlin and am a member of the IMPRS-BAC doctoral program at Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. I also hold an MSc in bioinformatics with honors from the University of Bologna.
In my doctoral research, I have been focusing on computational drug discovery for inhibiting TMPRSS2 (a protease involved in coronavirus cell entry), using docking, molecular dynamics and active learning. This has led to the discovery of a nanomolar TMPRSS2 inhibitor and a patent application for treating COVID-19. During my PhD, I have also gained valuable industry experience through an internship at Microsoft Research.
Beyond my academic pursuits, I am passionate about teaching and science outreach, helping to inspire the next generation of scientists. Therefore, I have co-founded Bioinformatika, an NGO dedicated to providing free educational content in bioinformatics to young people from all socio-economic backgrounds.
I am naturally drawn to problem-solving and genuinely motivated to tackle real-world challenges, particularly those with a potential for meaningful impact. Whether in academia or industry, I look forward to contributing to drug discovery, one computational model at a time.
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