She received a diploma engineer in architecture degree from University of Belgrade and master’s degree in design from UCLA. Vera is one of the founding co-directors of the Laboratory for Integrative Design (LID), a design research laboratory where design is engaged as a broadly integrative endeavour by fluidly navigating across different disciplinary territories. Her research is focused on responsive material systems and informed by contemporary models in biology, material science research, and mechatronic systems. Prior to her appointment in Calgary, she taught design and other subjects at several universities, most recently at Temple University as well as in Hong Kong. Vera has worked in architectural firms in Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston, Miami, and Los Angeles including Carlos Zapata Design Studio and Kieran Timberlake Associates