Dora completed her bachelor and master degree in Pharmacy at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu, in Cluj-Napoca Romania, before joining IST Austria in September 2013.During her PhD she investigated how the depletion of branched chain amino acids from the brain results in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using a mouse model, carrying genetic mutations in a blood brain barrier specific amino acid transporter, she performed a series of molecular and behavioral assays in order to understand the mechanism leading from genetic glitch to autistic phenotype. She also performed rescue experiments with amino acid supplementation that improved the neurobehavioral abnormalities of the mutant mice, thus setting a good foundation for further studies exploring therapeutic strategies for ASD.