Genetic basis of complex diseases
Team leader: Prof. Tatijana Zemunik, MD, PhD
Team members:
Ass. Prof. Vesna Boraska, PhD
Marina Pehlić, MD
Jolanda Zoković, lab. tehnician
Collaborators:
Vesela Torlak, MSc
Ass. Prof. Veselin Škrabić, MD, PhD
Prof. Vjekoslav Krželj, MD, PhD
Ivana Unić, MD, PhD
Gordana Stipančić, MD, PhD
Jasminka Jakšić, MD, MSc
Srećko Severinski, MD, MSc
Research interests and current projects:
Since year 2002 this research team, with its leader prof. Tatijana Zemunik, has been oriented at discovering genetic basics of juvenile diabetes . The project „Genetic study of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Dalmatian population“No.0216011 , that was accepted from the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sport (MZOŠ) in 2002 was continued in 2007 by project named „Genetic epidemiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Croatian population“ No.216-1080315-0293. Many important scientific articles were published as a result of all these findings. They were also used for meta analysis in few world-wide studies and therefore are very often quoted. We managed to establish excellent collaboration with pediatricians in several Croatian hospitals who are sending us blood samples from diabetic patients and their parents for our DNA bank. The main goal is to continue to explore genetics of his disease with a discovery of new genes involved in pathogenesis of this polygenic disease.
We achieved great cooperation with ass. prof. Anita Markotić`s research team on her project „Pathobiochemistry of glycosphingolipid antigens“ No. 216-2160133-0066 in which prof.Zemunik was reported as collaborator.
Project „Genetic epidemiology of type 1 diabetes in Croatian population“ is a part of „Croatian Biobank: Resource for Analyzing Health and Disease Determinants in Population“ under prof. Igor Rudan`s leadership. As the time went by this project was associated with some others projects to create large study named “10 001 Dalmatians”. Laboratory is now equipped with exceptionally sophisticated appliances for human genetic research. This collaboration is planned for next five years and is expected to be continued afterwards. All obtained results are going to be published under the name of Universityof Split, School of Medicine (MEFST) and Croatian Center for Global Health (HCGZ), with prof. Zemunik as a leader of Department for large population studies.
Our research team is also a part of prof. Gordan Lauc`s project “Genetic basis of immunoglobulin G glycosilation variability” that was rated positively from the Croatian National Science Foundation (NZZ) in the first round.
Laboratory for biology and genetics and our research team welcomes collaboration with all scientists, especially clinicians, medical doctors willing to make their doctoral thesis in this field, with ground postulates and techniques of molecular biology. We are proud to announce that we already have two PhD applicants in next two years-our part is to give them basic knowledge in human genetics and lab techniques. We look forward to great science future in our lab!
Latest publications:
