Dr. Kovacevic completed her PhD in 2011 at the University of Sydney, where she also undertook her post-doctoral studies, being supported by joint NHMRC and CINSW Early Career and Career Development Fellowships. Her PhD studies focused on developing a new class of metal-binding thiosemicarbazones as anti-cancer agents and elucidating their molecular mechanisms in numerous cancer types including pancreatic, prostate and breast cancers. This work facilitated the entry of lead agent, DpC, into Australian multi-centre clinical trials in 2016. She also made significant contributions to understanding the function of the iron-regulated metastasis suppressor N-myc down-stream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), identifying the important role of this protein in cancer progression, development of resistance to chemotherapies and cross-talk with the tumour microenvironment.