Serbia once again has representatives in the final of the 12th International Medis Awards for Medical Research, a prestigious regional award often referred to as the medical Oscar. Two scientists from Serbia have been selected among the 18 top researchers from 11 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Out of 246 scientific papers submitted from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia, an international expert jury chose two finalists in nine medical fields: gynaecology, dermatology, pulmonology, neurology, pharmacology, paediatrics, ophthalmology, anaesthesiology, and rheumatology.
This year, Serbia has a finalist in the field of pharmacology, Professor Milica Bajčetić, from the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, and in the field of rheumatology, Dr Jelena Čolić from the Institute of Rheumatology.
Following a record-breaking year when Serbia had seven finalists, three of whom won awards, this year’s placement again confirms the consistent high quality of domestic medical research on the regional stage.
Professor Milica Bajčetić’s research addresses a long-standing challenge in treating heart failure in young children: the lack of ready-made, age-appropriate oral medications for children under six years old. Children with congenital heart defects or dilated cardiomyopathy often require drugs such as enalapril, but these medications do not exist in suitable forms for the youngest patients. As a result, treatment is frequently prepared by adapting adult medications, for example, by crushing tablets, which can lead to inaccurate dosing, difficulties in adherence, and potential safety risks.
In the field of rheumatology, Dr Jelena Čolić from the Institute of Rheumatology has been nominated for the Medis Award for her research on whether tiny particles in the blood can predict the worsening of lung disease in systemic sclerosis.
(Nova.rs, 26.02.2026)
https://nova.rs/vesti/drustvo/dve-naucnice-iz-srbije-nominovane-za-medicinski-oskar/