Staff

Maja Katalinić

Division of Toxicology

PhD; BSc in biochem. eng. / Scientific Advisor

Place and date of birth

Zagreb, 31 October 1979

Education

1998−2004 Faculty of Food and Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb. Diploma inBiotechnology-Biochemical Engineering. “Influence of flavonoids on Lck and Fyn tyrosine kinases using ELISA method with comparison of different substrates: Poly Glu:Tyr (4:1) and M3-01 peptide” [B.Sc. Thesis]. Supervisors: Donatella Verbanac, Dubravko Jelić and Vladimir Mrša
2006−2011 Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. “Efficiency of bispyridinium oximes in reactivation of tabun inhibited cholinesterases” [Doctoral thesis]. Supervisor: Z. Kovarik

Work Experience

Since 2005 Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia

Projects

Head

2025−2028 research project, “Boosting Synaptic Transmission with Pyridine and Nicotinamide Derivatives”, HrZZ-IP-2025-02-7665
2024−2027 WP1 coordinator “The influence of biologically active molecules on the nervous system”, BioMolTox “Assessment of effectiveness and toxicity of biologically active substances”, IMI Programme support; MZOM (PI, N. Maček Hrvat)
2018−2023 installation research project, HrZZ „Molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of antidotes and potential drugs “ HrZZ-UIP-2017-05-7260
2020−2021 „ Effect of oxime analogues on skeletal muscle cell viability “; hrvatsko-slovenska bilateralna suradnja MZOM (PI M. Katalinić i S. Pirkmajer, SLO)
2014−2015 „The roll of a newly-identified NRE esterase in human muscle cells: profiling the enzyme as a predictor and/or therapeutic target for muscle related diseases”; Croatian− Slovenian Cooperation (PI M. Katalinić i T. Marš, SLO)
2013−2014 „Mechanism of interactions of pyridinium oximes with acetylcholinesterases inhibited by OP compounds: kinetics, computational modelling and determination of complexes 3D structure”; COGITO Croatian−French Cooperation (PI M. Katalinić i F. Nachon, FR)

Partner

2024−2028 Horizon-EU: “Evolvable and rapidly adaptable monobodies: a broad-spectrum antiviral platform (EvaMobs)”; (PI C. M. Soares, PT)
2024−2027 EU-EDF: “European Strategic alliance for research, development and innovation on medical countermeasures against CBRN threats (RESILIENCE)” (PI C. Junot, FR)
2025−2026 “Modulation of neuromuscular transmission via skeletal muscle nicotinic receptors”; hrvatsko-slovenska bilateralna suradnja MZOM (PI A. Zandona)
2023−2025 “Application of hepatic 3D cell model (HepG2) for safety evaluation of newly synthesized oximes, antidotes in treatment of organophosphate poisoning (OximeSafe3D)”; Croatian−Slovenian Cooperation (PI I. Vrhovac Madunić)

Fields of interest

Research, profiling and identification of compounds with therapeutic potential for the cholinergic system using in silico and in vitro methods and using cell models; optimization of experiments to reduce reagent usage and obtain reliable data for possible in vivo studies.

Additional training

2023 Visual communication of science (organizer Seyens Ltd., Ljubljana, Slovenia)
2022 EMBO Laboratory Leadership for Group Leaders (organizer EMBO)
2019/2020 Workshop on education, Better skills for better jobs: Education and training for successful research careers (organizers HDBMB and FEBS)
2011−2012 post-doctoral training at the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana, Slovenia (EMBO scholarship, scholarship of the Public Foundation of the Republic of Slovenia for staff development and scholarships)

Select Publications

Zandona, Antonio; Szecskó, Anikó; Žunec, Suzana; Novak Jovanović, Ivana; Bušić, Valentina; Gašo Sokač, Dajana; Deli, Mária A.; Katalinić, Maja; Veszelka, Szilvia. Nicotinamide derivatives protect the blood-brain barrier against oxidative stress. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 186 (2025), 118018, 12. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118018
Zandona, Antonio; Jurić, Matea; Jean, Ludovic; Renard, Pierre-Yves; Katalinić, Maja. Assessment of cytotoxic properties of tetrahydroisoquinoline oximes in breast, prostate and glioblastoma cancer cells. Drug and chemical toxicology, 48 (2025), 2; 1-8. doi: 10.1080/01480545.2025.2491534
Žunec, Suzana; Vadlja, Donna; Ramić, Alma; Zandona, Antonio; Maraković, Nikola; Brekalo, Iva; Primožič, Ines; Katalinić, Maja. Profiling novel quinuclidine-based derivatives as potential anticholinesterase drugs: enzyme inhibition and effects on cell viability. International journal of molecular sciences, 25 (2024), 1; 155, 19. doi: 10.3390/ijms25010155
Zandona, Antonio; Madunić, Josip; Miš, Katarina; Maraković, Nikola; Dubois-Goeffroy, Pierre; Cavaco, Marco; Mišetić, Petra; Padovan, Jasna; Castanho, Miguel; Jean, Ludovic et al. Biological response and cell death signaling pathways modulated by tetrahydroisoquinoline-based aldoximes in human cells. Toxicology, 494 (2023), 153588-153602. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153588
Miš, Katarina; Lulić, Ana-Marija; Marš, Tomaž; Pirkmajer, Sergej; Katalinić, Maja. Insulin, dibutyryl-cAMP, and glucose modulate expression of patatin-like domain containing protein 7 in cultured human myotubes. Frontiers in endocrinology, 14 (2023), 1139303, 13. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1139303

Memberships

Vice President of the Croatian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, HDBMB, 2025-present, Secretary of HDBMB (2017-2021), Member of the HDBMB Executive Board
Member of the Croatian Chemical Society
Member of the Croatian Society of Toxicology