Katia Sirna is a PhD researcher in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology at the University of Helsinki. She earned her Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the University of Pavia (Italy) and first joined the University of Helsinki during her MSc thesis as an exchange student. During this time, she developed a strong interest in designing molecules capable of modulating cellular behaviour, which led her to begin her doctoral studies in January 2022. Katia now works within a multidisciplinary project aimed at discovering new allosteric modulators of protein kinase C (PKC), with potential applications in treating heart disease and cancer. Her research focuses on the sustainable design and synthesis of novel PKC agonists, as well as investigating their effects in biological models.