Rapid-fire lunchtime talks bringing together researchers from three institutions (ISTA – CSH – AITHYRA), showcasing their backgrounds, current research, and future goals.
DATE: Thur 24 September 2026
TIME: 12:00-14:00
VENUE: Down-Town, Central Building
The talks will be followed by informal discussions and a buffet lunch, offering a chance to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and build community across disciplines and institutions.
It’s the perfect opportunity to sharpen your presentation skills and challenge yourself in front of a new audience. And who knows—these new connections might prove valuable as you take your next career steps!
REGISTRATION: The event is open to everyone, but slots are limited. Please register via the following link starting in August: ISTA Postdoc Office. For non-ISTA postdocs, a Campus tour will be available from 14:00 to 15:00.
PROGRAM
12:00 Welcome from ISTA Postdoctoral Office
12:05 Gabriela Lobinska (AITHYRA)
12:14 Elma Dervic (CSH)
12:23 Jakub Bajzik (ISTA)
12:32 Q&A
12:50 Buffet lunch & networking
14:00 Campus tour for external participants (optional)
15:00 Event ends
LOGISTSICS
Venue: DownTown, Lower Ground Floor, Central Building (01), ISTA Campus, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg
Campus Plan and How to get here: https://ista.ac.at/en/campus/how-to-get-here/
Free ISTA shuttle timetable from and to Vienna Heiligenstadt: https://ista.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/fahrplan-ISTA-gultig-ab-03-03-2025.pdf
SPEAKERS
Gabriela Lobinska
Gabriela completed her Master’s thesis in bioinformatics and modeling at Sorbonne University in Paris and earned her PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel under the supervision of Prof. Tzachi Pilpel, with co-supervision by Dr. Yoav Ram of Tel Aviv University. She is broadly interested in how evolution is capable of generating the diversity of life and enabling adaptation to a wide range of environments. Now a postdoctoral fellow in the Mora Lab, she works on incorporating evolutionary insights into generative protein models to improve their performance.
Elma Dervic
Elma is a postdoctoral fellow at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) and the Medical University of Vienna. She completed her PhD at both institutions and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Montenegro. Prior to joining CSH, she worked as a junior researcher at the First Center of Excellence (BIO-ICT) in Montenegro. Elma is a co-founder of BeeAnd.me, a venture-funded loT startup that leverages data science to support beekeepers and improve bee health. She is also a three-time TED speaker and a co-founder of the Montenegrin Al Association, as well as co-organizer of the EEML 2026 summer school. Her research focuses on machine learning, network science, and impactful applications of data science. She currently works with medical data to uncover disease trajectories and analyzes public data to better understand systemic risk in supply chains.
Jakub Bajzik
Jakub is a postdoctoral researcher at ISTA with a background in computer science and signal processing. His research focuses on statistical modeling and scalable computational methods for large-scale biobank and human medical record data to better understand the genetic basis of complex diseases and traits. More broadly, he is interested in leveraging advances in computer science to develop interpretable models that help address challenges in the life sciences.