Hematology and Stem Cells

Principal research fellow

Aleksandra Jauković

Aleksandra Jauković is a doctor of biological sciences, a Principal Research Fellow and Head of the Group for Hematology and Stem Cells. Combining expertise in cellular and molecular biology, her research is focused on the development of new strategies in precision medicine using stem cells and their products. For those purposes, she studies the regenerative and modulatory potential of mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells in physiology and various pathologies of the bone and hematopoietic system associated with inflammation, aging and cancers. Her areas of interest also include investigations of stem cells role in breast cancer progression, as well as their potential use in targeted therapy and/or as disease-specific prognostic biomarkers. Important aspect of her research covers biocompatibility testing of biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration, with particular interest in the development of advanced in vitro model systems and assays using mesenchymal stem cells of different tissue origin and 3D printing technologies.

Senior research associate

Drenka Trivanović

Drenka Trivanović received PhD in 2015 from the University of Belgrade. During her post-doc period at the IZKF Group Tissue Regeneration in Musculoskeletal Diseases, University Hospital Wuerzburg (2017-2022, Germany), she established protocol for extraction and analyses of human bone marrow adipose tissue cells. She has managed and participated in several international and national projects. Dr. Trivanović led the preparation of several doctoral and master’s theses in Serbia and Germany. She is a member of editorial boards in international journals. She has given several invited lectures at international conferences. She is is a member of the organizing committee of The International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society Summer School 2023 and the ECTS Academy (2023-2027). Dr. Trivanović passed several educational courses: mouse surgery, single-cell omics, reprogramming of somatic cells to iPCs. Her laboratory skills include: mouse bone surgery (holds Felasa B certificate), flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting, fluorescent microscopy, gene expression, extracellular flux analyses.

Research assistant

Anđelija Petrović

Angelija Petroviž is a doctor of dentistry in the hematology and stem cells group. Her research is focused on stem cells from oral cancers. She is interested in the etiology and early diagnosis of oral cancers

Research associate

Hristina Obradović

Hristina Obradović is a molecular biologist from the Group for hematology and stem cells with a doctorate in biological sciences titled ’’Functional characterization of primary mesenchymal stem cells under proinflammatory and altered oxygenation conditions’’. She investigates regenerative and immunomodulatory potential of stem cells from adult and perinatal tissues, with particular experience with stem cells isolated from the human umbilical cord. In addition to laboratory work (cell culture methods, gene and protein analyses, microscopy) she is skillful in writing and reviewing papers, carrying out project tasks, participating in writing projects, disseminating results and promoting science. She gained additional experience in working with placenta tissue and the use of its derivatives in regenerative and therapeutic medicine during her professional training as part of COST Action CA17116 and a postdoctoral stay at the University of Ljubljana, which is where her further professional interests are focused.

Senior research associate

Slavko Mojsilović

Slavko Mojsilović, MD, PhD, Specialist in Immunology, is a Senior Research Associate in the Group for Hematology and Stem Cells. His research focuses primarily on studying the effects of the inflammatory and tumor microenvironment on the immunomodulatory and regenerative properties of mesenchymal stromal and hematopoietic cells. His areas of interest include the study of stem cells in the context of inflammation, hematopoiesis, regenerative medicine, and oncology. His extensive research experience in biomedical sciences has provided him with expertise in cell culture methods, flow cytometry, immunoassays, and other cell and molecular biology techniques.

SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

Ivana Okić Đorđević

Ivana Okić Đorđević is a  is a Senior Research Associate in the Group for hematology and stem cells of the Institute for medical research and her research is focused on examining the biology of dental tissue derived adult stem cells by assessing their regenerative and modulatory potential. She is currently engaged in defining tissue-specific stem cell properties, their response to inflammation, and improving existing in vitro stem cell culture approaches in systems that credibly reflect the characteristics of the native microenvironment. She is interested in developing a novel formulation of tissue derived bioproducts for potential use in oral tissue wound healing and the usefulness of periodontal ligament mesenchymal stem cells as a model system for testing the new therapeutics in dental medicine.

Milica Rajković

Milica Rajković is a Master of Human Molecular Biology and Physiology. She is the junior researcher in the Group for Hematology and Stem Cells from december 2023. She is the second year of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade. Her research is focused on examining human mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow as well as various studies related to multiple myeloma cells.

PhD

Tamara Kukolj

Tamara Kukolj is a doctor of biological sciences in the Group for Hematology and Stem Cells. Her research area is regenerative and immunomodulatory potential of mesenchymal stem cells, molecular mechanisms involved in stemness/differentiation, potential application in biomedicine. Since 2013, she has been a participant in several national and international projects. Project leader of the “Development of Raman spectroscopy method for estimation of regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells at single cell level” project (‘Start up for Science, Serbia’ 2019/2020). Winner of the “Goran Ljubijankić” Foundation award for the best doctoral dissertations (2018); the best scientific research work of a young researcher “Dr. Vera and Dušan Kentera” (2018) and the best scientific research work of a group of researchers (2020) “Dr. Jovan Vučo” awards from the Institute for Medical Research. Member of the Society of Immunologists of Serbia and the Serbian Society for Immunology, Molecular Oncology and Regenerative Medicine.

PhD

Dragana Aleksandrović

Dragana Aleksandrović, junior research assistant, is a PhD student at the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade. Since November 2023, She is a member of the Group for Hematology and Stem Cells. Her research is focused on examining the regulation of the regenerative and modulatory potential of human mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow.