Current Members
Tihomir is a Senior Scientist at the Ruđer Bošković Institute. He earned his PhD in 1999 at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb (supervisor: Dr. Tatjana Marotti), studying the immunomodulatory effects of opioid peptides. His current work explores sex-specific responses to oxidative stress and cell damage, with a focus on mitochondrial regulators such as Sirt3 and sex-dependent antioxidant defence. In a parallel career, he is known for debugging car problems using only unreliable eyewitness reports and a complete lack of data.
Sandra is a Senior Research Associate at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia. She obtained her PhD in 2006 under the supervision of Dr. Tatjana Marotti, studying sex differences in adaptation to oxidative stress. Her current research focuses on how sex-specific mechanisms and estrogen signalling shape cellular responses to stress and metabolic challenges. A small change in her behaviour triggers a chain reaction in the lab environment – more chaos than fun, but always manageable.
Robert is a Research Associate at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia. In the middle of our loud debates, Robi cuts through the chaos to conclude discussions with clarity and point the lab toward the best next step.
Iva is a Research Associate at the Ruđer Bošković Insitute in Zagreb, Croatia. She obtained her PhD in 2016 under supervision of dr. Balaźs Harrach and dr. Mária Benkő, as an MSCA fellow studying simian adenoviruses within the project „Adenoviruses as novel clinical treatments“. Her current research focuses on mitochondrial regulation by Sirt3 and its sex-specific roles in metabolic homeostasis across tissues and cellular models. In parallel, she contributes to adenovirus taxonomy and international virus classification efforts.
Her superpower: resistant to all kinds of stress.
Marijana is a Senior Research Associate at the Ruđer Bošković Institute. After earning her PhD some years ago, she began investigating diabetes at the molecular level using mouse models and blood samples from diabetic patients. She currently collaborates on two ongoing projects, helping to build a ¹H NMR urine metabolite library linked to diabetes development, supported by algorithm-based analysis. She also prepares tissues and cells for MeV-SIMS profiling of elemental and molecular composition. This superhero can easily pass through thick walls to bring light into dark rooms.
Kate is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia. She obtained her master’s degree in experimental biology from the Faculty of Science (PMF) in 2016. During her PhD, she worked on obesity models and neurodegeneration-related topics. Her current research focuses on the sex-dependent role of Sirtuin 3 in metabolic stress, particularly in obesity models. Her superpower is turning a lab meltdown into “never mind, it’s reproducible.” Off duty, she can dissect a roast chicken into anatomical parts with remarkable precision.
Marija is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia. She earned her PhD in 2021 under the supervision of Dr. Tihomir Balog, where she investigated the role of the Sirt3 in estrogen-mediated cellular response mechanisms under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Her current research focuses on oxidative stress markers in patients with metabolic syndrome and acute heart failure, with a particular interest in the role of Sirt3 and sex-specific differences in responses to metabolic stress. She specializes in developing and optimizing methods. If she says that the method works, it works.
Ena is a postdoctoral researcher at Laboratory for Metabolism and Aging. During her PhD she worked on the effects of Sirtuin3 in the sex-specific regulation of energy homeostasis during aging, under the supervision of Dr. Iva Škrinjar. Her research now further explores the sex-specific role of Sirtuin3 in the context of metabolic stress and obesity. Outside the lab, she’s known for her rare talent to resist drinking beer at a punk concert.
Dora has expertise in molecular oncology and epigenetics of urogenital tumors, epigenetic biomarkers in liquid biopsies, and Hedgehog–GLI signaling in prostate cancer biology, progression, and therapeutic resistance. She also has extensive experience working with clinical samples and cell-based models.
Mirta holds an MSc in Molecular Biology from the University of Zagreb and a PhD from the University of Vienna, where she also completed a postdoc in drug discovery for metabolic disorders. Currently, she serves as a project associate on the P3 SUPREME project in collaboration with Polleo Adria, evaluating novel pre-workout supplement aimed at optimizing physical and mental performance. Her primary research interests focus on how cellular metabolic pathways are regulated across biological sex and aging.
Jelena is a Professional Advisor at the Laboratory for Metabolism and Aging. She obtained her PhD in 2023, with the research carried out at the Laboratory for Cell Biophysics under the supervision of academician Iva Tolić, studying the mechanobiology of the human mitotic spindle within ERC-funded projects. Her current work on the MicroGnost project focuses on developing safer histopathological reagents for tissue fixation, decalcification and processing, with an emphasis on preserving nucleic acids and protein biomarkers for downstream molecular diagnostics.
Iva has been a laboratory technician at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb since 2007. She is the steady presence that keeps the lab running smoothly, and her lively, spirited personality brings energy to the team. Her exceptional ability to anticipate potential issues before they arise has brought stability and reliability to every project she touches, giving the whole team confidence and helping ensure the lab’s work is successful every day.
