23 September 2024 – Turk has been Slovenia’s EMBC Delegate for 14 years, and also served as vice-president of the organization which funds EMBO. He says EMBO is highly valued across its member countries for opportunities in funding, networking and collaboration. “You feel like being really a member of a big family,” he says. “People from the larger countries in EMBC are equally aware that this is also crucial for them. It’s not just for small countries.”
Turk says EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships and EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants are crucial for researchers seeking to build an independent career. “You can become independent of your supervisor and start thinking independently,” he says. Turk successfully applied both for a FEBS and EMBO Fellowship for a postdoctoral position in Sweden, and subsequently also benefited from a scientific exchange grants. “I had a grant for three months. It was great,” he says. “You can learn new techniques or establish a collaboration on a project. It is good to stay out of your comfort zone and find something new.”
Turks says EMBO’s emphasis on international mobility is particularly important in geographically smaller countries such as Slovenia. “You need to change the environment,” he says.
His research is in proteases and specifically in the basic mechanisms of molecular signalling pathways to understand their role in inflammation associated diseases. “We are also trying to use proteases as a means for minimally invasive diagnosis and drug delivery,” Turk says. “Proteases are really good markers of inflammation and you can image them with fluorescence so there are studies now into image guided surgery for cancer treatment.”
