Nutritional Biochemistry And Dietology

The group deals with basic and applied research on the effects of anti-inflammatory dietary intervention and the application of certain nutrients on biomarkers of nutritional intake, biochemical parameters of nutritional status, and changes in parameters of lipid status, inflammation, and oxidative stress in different pathological conditions; within the group there is also the Nutrition Counseling Center. The research includes several directions:

  • Creation of intervention studies with omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid supplements and consumption of food rich in polyphenols, their implementation, and monitoring of the effect on disease progression and quality of life;
  • Monitoring the effect of dietary intervention and individual nutritional therapy in obese people, oncology patients, in people with sarcopenic obesity, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, and insulin resistance;
  • Development and application of an animal model suitable for researching the effect of cold press juices and plant extracts rich in polyphenols, with hypolipemic, hypoglycemic, and anti-inflammatory properties, on the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome;
  • Conducting education and organizing workshops and public lectures in the nutrition fields;
  • Commercial service of nutrigenomic analysis and personalized nutrition

NEXT THREE YEARS:

  • Further development of the research in the field of lipidomics, with the use of the most modern techniques of gas, liquid, and mass spectrometry.
  • Identification and quantification of new biomarkers closely related to the occurrence and development of chronic non-communicable diseases.
  • Examining the interactions of newly discovered biomarkers with other macromolecules and their validation in large cohorts.
  • Diagnosis and prognosis of disease development using artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.
  • The fact that the mentioned research would be focused on the consumption of products from plants characteristic of our climate, makes this research interesting for achieving cooperation with the economy.

Head of the Research Group

Group Leader - Principal research fellow

Vesna Vučić

Group Leader - Principal research fellow

Vesna Vučić

Dr Vesna Vučić is a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Medical Research, Head of the Department for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology, and Head of the Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism. Her primary area of interest is the research of relationships between nutrition and health, with an emphasis on lipids and low-grade inflammation. She works towards evidence-based research and developing personalized dietary protocols. Dr Vucic was a PI or a co-investigator in several projects and clinical trials investigating the effects of fatty acids and herbal bioactives in inflammatory diseases and supervised 6 doctoral dissertations.

Email:vesna.vucic@imi.bg.ac.rs

Group Members

Principal research fellow

Danijela Ristić-Medić
Principal research fellow

Aleksandra Arsić
Principal research fellow

Snježana Petrović
Senior research associate

Maja Milošević, PhD
Research associate

Biljana Pokimica
Research assistant

Marija Paunovic
Senior research associate

Milica Kojadinović PhD

Milena Žuža Praštalo
Research associate

Anđelija Čukić

Principal research fellow

Danijela Ristić-Medić

Danijela Ristic-Medic is medical doctor, specialist in internal medicine and diet therapy, with MSc and PhD in nutrition and metabolism and certified training in sports nutrition and supplementation in Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology group which is part of CENM. She has more than 25 years of experience in basic, clinical and epidemiology nutrition–research, evidence-based research, and meta-analyses, with the primary area of interest in dietary intake, obesity and nutrition assessment. She has been involved in several national and EU projects in nutrition as a head of work tasks and projects of bilateral cooperation. She is a teacher on continuous medical education in the field of diet therapy. Danijela has expertise with organizing and performing nutritional trials. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Nutrition Society of Serbia, and member of Federation of European Nutrition Societies working groups dedicated to “Improved Standards in the Science of Nutrition”.

Email:danijelar@imi.bg.ac.rs

Principal research fellow

Aleksandra Arsić

Aleksandra Arsić is a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade. She has Ph.D. in biochemistry and physiology from the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade. She is actively engaged in the investigation of nutrition and metabolism and the role of lipids, fatty acids, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules, in a healthy population and different pathological conditions. Aleksandra Arsić has a great experience in lipids investigations, and she was involved in or conducted several intervention studies on the effect of fatty acid supplementation on lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation in different chronic non-communicable diseases. In addition, the protective and preventive role of bioactive food components in human health is also a field of interest. She has participated in work packages and tasks in several national and EU-funded projects. More recently, she investigates plasma lipidomic profiles in different pathological states.

Email:aleksandra.arsic@imi.bg.ac.rs

Principal research fellow

Snježana Petrović

Snježana Petrović is a doctor of biological sciences in the Group for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology, Center of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade. Her research area includes examining of the impact of specific diets, nutritional supplements and intensive physical activity on anthropometric characteristics, biochemical parameters, lipid profile, oxidative stress, histopathological status, and inflammation in different human and animal tissues samples. The special focus of her research activities is the development of an animal model of obesity and metabolic syndrome, as well as the application of that model in studies investigating the effects and mechanisms of action of selected supplements/nutrients in the prevention and therapy of metabolic syndrome.

Email:snjezana.petrovic@imi.bg.ac.rs

Senior research associate

Maja Milošević, PhD

Dr Maja Milošević holds a PhD in Biochemistry and is a Senior Research Associate in the Group for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology. Throughout her career, she has conducted research in the fields of neuroscience, toxicology, stress erythropoiesis, lipidomics and metabolic syndrome. Her research interests include the development of animal models of chronic stress, obesity and metabolic syndrome with the aim of investigating the preventive and therapeutic effects of selected dietary supplements/nutrients and the mechanisms of their action at both systemic and cellular levels.

Dr Milošević’s current research focuses on investigations in the fields of lipidomics and nutrigenomics. A particular focus of her work is analysing changes in lipid metabolism in malignant diseases and the possible connection between genetic variations in the FADS genes and the individual response to nutritional interventions in breast cancer patients.

Email:mmilosevic@imi.bg.ac.rs

Research associate

Biljana Pokimica

Biljana Pokimica is a Doctor of Biological Sciences in the Group for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology. Her research focuses on the influence of nutrition on biochemical parameters and fatty acids, in human and animal studies. She studied the effects of chokeberry juice polyphenols on cardiovascular risk factors in rats and humans. She participated in studies that analyzed the association between diet and lung cancer. Her research also included the influence of dietary bioactive components on gene expression. She is interested in nutrigenetic analyses.

Email:biljana.pokimica@imi.bg.ac.rs

Research assistant

Marija Paunovic

Marija Paunovic is a PhD student who works in the Group for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology. Her research focuses on studying the influence of nutrition and changes in metabolic parameters in various physiological and pathological conditions, primarily metabolic syndrome and different types of cancers.

Email:marija.paunovic@imi.bg.ac.rs

Senior research associate

Milica Kojadinović PhD

Milica Kojadinović has a Ph.D. in biological sciences in the group for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology. Her research is focused on the examination of the metabolism of lipids and fatty acids in different pathological conditions. He deals with this research within the framework of clinical but also in vitro studies, in which he works on different cell lines. In addition, the examination of the influence of antioxidants from food on the parameters of oxidative stress and lipid metabolism is the focus of her research in recent years. She also studies the interactions of secondary metabolites of polyphenolic compounds from food with proteins using biophysical methods of fluorimetry, spectrophotometry, and infrared spectroscopy.

Email:milica.kojadinovic@imi.bg.ac.rs

Milena Žuža Praštalo

Milena Žuža Praštalo holds a Doctorate in Science with a specialization in Chemistry and Chemical Technology and works as a research associate within the Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology group at the Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade. With over 15 years of extensive research experience in biotechnology, biochemical engineering, and sustainable development, she also possesses teaching expertise across various subjects and faculties. Currently, her research concentrates on bioactive food compounds, emphasizing their isolation, stabilization, and incorporation into the formulation of functional foods. She has actively contributed to several international and domestic scientific research projects, participated in international development programs, and served as a supervisor for a doctoral dissertation.

:milena.zuza@imi.bg.ac.rs

Research associate

Anđelija Čukić

Anđelija Čukić is a medical doctor and a doctor of dentistry, a doctor of Medical Sciences in the group for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology, Center of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade. Her research as part of her doctoral dissertation was focused on stem cells of originating from oral carcinomas. Her area of interest included research in the field of oncology with a special focus on the etiology and pathogenesis of oral carcinomas in younger people without the presence of previously known risk factors. She has recently become a member of the group for Nutritional Biochemistry and Dietology  in which she is interested in research in the field of nutrition. Her research focuses on studying the influence of nutrition and supplementation in various physiological and pathological conditions, primarily different types of cancers.

Email:andjelija.petrovic@imi.bg.ac.rs

Latest PROJECTS

All projects of this group

Latest RESEARCH PAPERS

Žuža Praštalo, M., Pokimica, B., Arsić, A., Ilich, J. Z., & Vučić, V. (2025). Current evidence on the impact of diet, food, and supplement intake on breast cancer health outcomes in patients undergoing endocrine therapy. Nutrients, 17(3), 456. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030456

Veselinović, A., Zeković, M., Paunović, M., Šorak, M., Ristić-Medić, D., & Vučić, V. (2025). Zinc as a modulator of male fertility: Interplay between lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and sperm function. Biological Trace Element Research, 1–15.

Ilich, J. Z., Pokimica, B., Ristić-Medić, D., Petrović, S., Arsić, A., Vasiljević, N., Vučić, V., & Kelly, O. J. (2025). Osteosarcopenic adiposity and its relation to cancer and chronic diseases: Implications for research to delineate mechanisms and improve clinical outcomes. Ageing Research Reviews, 103, 102601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102601

Veselinović, A., Stojsavljević, A., Arsić, A., Bojović-Jović, D., Vučić, V., & Golić, I. (2025). Serum and seminal plasma zinc levels and immunopositivity of the ZIP6 and ZIP14 transporters in men with normo- and teratozoospermia. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 47(2), 101.

Ilich, J. Z., Pokimica, B., Ristić-Medić, D., Petrović, S., Arsić, A., Vasiljević, N., Vučić, V., & Kelly, O. J. (2024). Osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA) phenotype and its connection with cardiometabolic disorders: Is there a cause-and-effect? Ageing Research Reviews, 98, 102326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102326

Ristić-Medić, D., Takić, M., Pokimica, B., Terzić, B., Kojadinović, M., Lepić, T., Radjen, S., & Vučić, V. (2024). Dietary omega-3 PUFA intake in patients with chronic kidney disease: The association with vitamin D deficiency, intima-media thickness and blood pressure. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(18), 5593. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13185593

Paunović, M., Milošević, M., Mitrović-Ajtić, O., Veličković, N., Mićić, B., Nedić, O., Todorović, V., Vučić, V., & Petrović, S. (2024). Polyphenol-rich black currant and cornelian cherry juices ameliorate metabolic syndrome induced by a high-fat high-fructose diet in Wistar rats. Heliyon, 10(7), e27709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27709

Petrović, S., Mouskeftara, T., Paunović, M., Deda, O., Vučić, V., Milošević, M., & Gika, H. (2024). Unveiling lipidomic alterations in metabolic syndrome: A study of plasma, liver, and adipose tissues in a dietary-induced rat model. Nutrients, 16(20), 3466. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16203466

Prvulović, N., Žuža Praštalo, M., Lilić, A., Pantelić, S., Katanić, B., Čoh, M., & Vučić, V. (2024). TMG symmetry and kinematic analysis of the impact of different plyometric programs on female athletes’ lower-body muscles. Symmetry, 16(10), 1393. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16101393

Bajerska, J., Skoczek-Rubińska, A., Małczak, L., Vučić, V., Arsić, A., Kojadinović, M., & Ristić-Medić, D. (2023). Plasma fatty acid composition and some markers of dietary habits are associated with cardiovascular disease risk determined by an atherogenic plasma index in postmenopausal women. Nutrition Research, 115, 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2023.05.008

Arsić, A., Krstić, P., Paunović, M., Nedović, J., Jakovljević, V., & Vučić, V. (2023). Anti-inflammatory effect of combining fish oil and evening primrose oil supplementation on breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 6449. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33787-w

Ristić-Medić, D., Kovačić, M., Takić, M., Arsić, A., Petrović, S. B., Paunović, M. P., Jovičić, M., & Vučić, V. (2021). Calorie-restricted Mediterranean and low-fat diets affect fatty acid status in individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nutrients, 13(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010015

Međaković, J., Čivljak, A., Zorčec, T., Vučić, V., Ristić-Medić, D., Veselinović, A., … & Puljak, L. (2024). Perceptions on support, challenges and needs among parents and caregivers of children with developmental disabilities in Croatia, North Macedonia and Serbia: A cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatrics, 24(1), 297. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-04489-4

Milošević, M., Arsić, A., Cvetković, Z., & Vučić, V. (2021). Memorable food: Fighting age-related neurodegeneration by precision nutrition. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8, 688086. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.688086

Paunović, M., Kotur-Stevuljević, J., Arsić, A., Milošević, M., Todorović, V., Guzonjić, A., Vučić, V., & Petrović, S. (2023). Antioxidative effects of black currant and cornelian cherry juices in different tissues of an experimental model of metabolic syndrome in rats. Antioxidants, 12(6), 1148. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12061148

All papers

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