Dr Aida Rajic
Career Overview
Dr. Rajic teaches a number of undergraduate and postgraduate modules mainly in the areas of cell biology and biochemistry, genetics, stem cell biology and developmental biology.
Dr. Rajic is a Senior Lecturer in Bioscience and Regenerative Medicine at University of Suffolk. She graduated with First Class Honours Degree in Biomedical Sciences at Napier University, Edinburgh. During her time at Napier University, she won a Wellcome Trust Summer Vacation Scholarship to study whether apoptosis was the mode of increased pathogenicity of ultrafine particles to the lungs as opposed to fine particles.
She obtained her PhD in Developmental Neurobiology from King s College London, where she studied the role of retinoic acid and COUP-TFs in forebrain development. The publications that resulted from her PhD thesis pioneered the area of the role for retinoic acid in ventral forebrain and eye development .
After finishing her PhD, Dr. Rajic spent a few months as a Visiting Fellow at Telethon Institute for Genetics and Medicine in Naples, Italy, researching the role of retinoic acid in development of the eye.
Following this, she worked as a Research Associate at Pathology Department, Cambridge University, where her research interests concerned neural stem cell biology. In particular, she studied a potential role of extracellular matrix molecule Tenascin-C (TN-C) in neural stem cell biology. This project brought together her interest and passion in gaining an understanding of the similarities of molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in developmental and regenerative biology, which is an interest she continues to pursue.
Qualifications
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Dr. Rajic obtained her BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences, First Class at Napier University, Edinburgh.
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She was awarded her PhD in Developmental Neurobiology at MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King' s College London.
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She is a member of the Society of Biology.
Teaching Focus
Dr. Rajic s main teaching focus is in the areas of cell biology and biochemistry, genetics, stem cell biology and developmental biology. She also teaches on a number of laboratory and communication skills modules.
Research Interests
Dr. Rajic s research and scientific interests lie in nutraceuticals, which are chemicals derived from food with potential protective effects on health and with a possible application in regenerative medicine.
In addition, she has a great passion and interest for investigating molecular pathways and mechanisms involved in developmental biology, and their applications to regenerative medicine.
Projects
Dr. Rajic is currently involved in a couple of projects looking at the beneficial health effects of certain nutraceuticals. One of these projects involves determining the effects resveratrol, a natural phenol, has on skeletal muscle cells.
Selected Publications
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Halilagic A, Ribes V et al. Dev. Biol. (2007); Retinoids control anterior and dorsal properties in the developing forebrain
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Garcion E, Halilagic A, Faissner A and ffrench-Constant C. Development (2004); Generation of an environmental niche for neural stem cell development by the extracellular matrix molecule Tenascin-C.
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Aida Halilagic, Maija H. Zile and Michèle Studer. Development. (2003); A novel role for retinoids in patterning the avian forebrain during presomite stage
