Member: August 2015 - September 2022

Research interest
Tissue and pathogen specific innate immunity

Title of PhD project
Functional characterization of REL2/Imd pathway of the malaria vectorAnopheles gambiae

Supervisor
Dr. Elena Levashina

Zaković S, Rivera GE, Gomaid R, Martinez CG, Kappler C, Marois E, Levashina EA. (2025).
The major role of the REL2/NF-κB pathway in the regulation of midgut bacterial homeostasis in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae.
Cell Rep 44:116282. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116282.

Zakovic S, Levashina EA. (2018).

Insects Go on a STING Operation to Tackle Intracellular Invaders.
Immunity 49:195-7. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.08.003.

Yordanova I*, Zakovic S*, Rausch S, CostaG, Levashina E, Hartmann S. (2018).
Micromanaging immunity in the murine hosts versus mosquito vectors: microbiota-dependent immune responses to intestinal parasites.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol 8:308. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00308. *equal contribution

Zakovic S, Levashina EA. (2017).
NF-κB-Like Signaling Pathway REL2 in Immune Defenses of the Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol 7:258. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.002583.