Kristina Djinovic-Carugo joined the Max Perutz Labs as a group leader in 2009 and is currently the head of EMBL Grenoble.
Kristina’s research focuses on the structural biology of the Z-disc. This complex assembly of proteins serves as the attachment region for adjacent sarcomeres, the smallest contractile units of muscles. Mutations in Z-disc proteins cause muscular dystrophies and myopathies. Kristina’s group has used a combination of biochemical, molecular biophysics and complementary structural biology methods to investigate the architecture and assembly of the Z-disc. Ultimately, her work aims at understanding the molecular basis of diseases affecting muscles, particularly cardiomyopathies.
Originally from Ljubljana, Kristina holds a PhD in Structural Biochemistry from the University of Ljubljana and has enjoyed a successful career in structural biology across Europe.