ANA STANKOVIC
Zurich
Summary
Passionate scientist e with over a decade of experience translating fundamental research in aging, neuroscience, and epigenetics into translatable technologies and insights. Proven leader in building and scaling scientific organizations from the ground up, shaping research strategy, and securing key resources. Combines elite academic credentials (EMBO Fellow, PhD with distinction) with hands-on experience in venture capital, operational management, and IP development to drive innovation from bench to clinical application.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder
Alpine Institute
2022 - Current
- Established the scientific vision and strategic roadmap for a non-profit institute dedicated to mapping the continuum of human health using large-scale clinical data.
- Led the development of the Institute's core technology platforms, translating systems biology insights into validated, predictive models for understanding health trajectories and detecting early disease indicators.
- Recruited and led a multidisciplinary team at the Alpine Institute; established a world-class Scientific Advisory Board featuring experts from leading global institutions.
Analyst
Nextech Invest
01.2021 - 2021
- Conducted deep scientific due diligence on early-stage oncology and biotech companies, informing investment decisions for a 400 million fund.
EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Zurich
01.2018 - 2022
- Awarded highly competitive EMBO Long-Term Fellowship (ranked top 4% of applicants).
- Discovered conserved epigenetic mechanisms underlying hippocampal memory formation, published in high-impact journals.
- Invented and developed an IP-protected technology for measuring cellular age, currently under patent application.
- Combined the use of human forebrain organoids with in vivo approaches, to model complex brain functions and disease.
PhD Researcher
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
01.2011 - 01.2017
- Investigated novel epigenetic mechanisms of centromere propagation under the supervision of Dr. Lars Jansen.
- Secured a full PhD scholarship from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation based on academic merit.
Education
PhD - Molecular Biology
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
01.2017
MSc - Molecular Biology & Physiology
University of Belgrade
01.2011
Skills
- Scientific Expertise
- Biology of Aging, Neuroscience, Epigenetics
- Systems Biology & Predictive Health Modeling
- Translational Research Strategy & Experimental Design
- Molecular & Cellular Biology, Stem Cell Models
- Business & Strategy
- Executive & Operations Management
- Scientific Due Diligence & Venture Capital Analysis
- IP Strategy & Protection
- Fundraising & Grant Writing
- Leadership & Communication
- Team Leadership & Mentoring
- Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) Development
- Public Speaking & Science Communication
- Peer Review & Scientific Writing
Timeline
Analyst
Nextech Invest
01.2021 - 2021
EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Zurich
01.2018 - 2022
PhD Researcher
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
01.2011 - 01.2017
MSc - Molecular Biology & Physiology
University of Belgrade
Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder
Alpine Institute
2022 - Current
PhD - Molecular Biology
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
Reviewer & Advisory Roles
- Peer Reviewer: Nature, Science, Cell, EMBO Journal, Developmental Cell, Nature Communications, JCB.
- Grant Reviewer: FCT (Portugal), Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Forschungskredit (UZH).
Fellowships & Grants
- EMBO Long-Term Fellowship | University of Zurich (2019–2021)
- PhD Scholarship | Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (2011–2017)
Visiting Researcher
DZNE (Germany, 2020), UPENN (USA, 2012), IMBA (Austria, 2011)
Selected Talks and Publications
- 2024: Longevity Med Summit, Lisbon, Portugal (Invited Speaker)
- 2022: Gordon Research Conference, Centromere Biology, USA (Recipient of Breakthrough Award; selected for Plenary Talk from >200 abstracts)
- 2016: Gordon Research Conference, Vermont, USA
- 2014: Jacques-Monod Cell-Cycle Conference, Roscoff, France
- Stankovic A. et al., Molecular Cell (2017): A dual inhibitory mechanism sufficient to maintain cell cycle restricted CENP-A assembly.
- Stankovic A. & Jansen L.E.T., Journal of Cell Biology (2013): Reductionism at the vertebrate kinetochore.
- Stankovic A. & Jansen L.E.T., Progress in Molecular and Subcellular Biology (2017): Quantitative microscopy reveals centromeric chromatin stability.
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