Elena received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Braving the wind and the rain she remained in Scotland to do a PhD in the lab of Dario Alessi at the MRC Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee where she investigated how the Parkinson's disease kinase LRRK2 interacts with its substrate and potential activator Rab GTPases. Her project also involved investigating the downstream effects of LRRK2 kinase activity revealing a conserved mode of phosphorylated Rab GTPase recognition by a set of phospho-specific effectors.

Outside of the lab, Elena is an amateur painter, a board game enthusiast, and (to her neighbors' dismay) enjoys playing the piano.