I am a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with a PhD in Neuroscience, and I am currently an ECLAM Resident, working as a Research Associate and Senior Advisor at the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine. I work at the interface of translational neuroscience and laboratory animal medicine, with a focus on central nervous system (CNS) development and injury models. My work is centered on perinatal hypoxia as a model of early-life brain insult and its impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes. I investigate structural, molecular, and functional changes in the developing brain, including alterations in extracellular matrix components such as perineuronal nets, and their relationship to behavioural outcomes ranging from motor function to higher cognitive processes. My research aims to improve understanding of neurodevelopmental consequences of early-life hypoxic injury, while enhancing the translational validity, refinement, and ethical robustness of experimental CNS animal models. I contribute to study design, model evaluation, and refinement strategies in experimental neuroscience research, particularly in high-relevance CNS injury models.