Barbara Stepic

Barbara Stepic is committed to pursuing a scientific career in cancer research in which she aspires to bring her share of value to society.  She is interested in cancer biology, inflammation, and cell signaling events. As a PhD candidate in Dr. Wim Declercq’s lab, her research focuses on investigating the association between skin inflammatory processes, skin barrier integrity, and susceptibility to tumor development.

She earned her BSc in Cosmetic Sciences at the University of Ljubljana, acquiring a scientific background with emphasis on skin biology and development of skincare products. Discovering her progressive passion for cancer research, she continued her studies at IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems in Austria, where she received her MSc in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in 2020.

Barbara was awarded an Austrian Marshall Plan Scholarship for her master thesis research assignment, which she performed in Dr. Kashani’s lab at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute. Working under Dr. David De Semir’s supervision, she was investigating the sensitivity of human lung cancer cells to pharmacological inhibitors of proteins involved in the regulation of cell cycle.

To gain additional experience Barbara also worked as a student at pharmaceutical company Krka d.d., obtaining her first insights into drug safety monitoring, as well as at Novartis Biopharmaceuticals in Slovenia, where she was trained in several analytical methods for characterization of biopharmaceutical formulations.