Marijana Ponjavić, PhD, is an Associate Research Professor at the IMGGE, Group for Eco-Biotechnology and Drug Development. After completing her Bachelor's studies at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, she finished her master's and then PhD at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, focusing on the synthesis, characterization and application of biodegradable polymers. She completed her postdoctoral studies at the Slovak Polymer Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia. She had a teaching experience during her work at TMF, and actively mentored students during their bachelor’s and master's theses.

At the end of 2022, she continued her further scientific carrier at IMGGE, where the main goal of her research is the development of new biodegradable materials, suitable for various applications as a new, innovative, sustainable solutions. Dr Ponjavić focuses her work on the development of advanced 3D functional materials, based on biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates and bacterial nanocellulose. Her works bridges polymer chemistry, polymer physics and material processing technologies, all aimed to developing new materials. She works on designing new "smart" polymers for various applications including packaging materials, functional food, biomedical applications, creating multifunctional composites and solving the challenges of biocompatibility, sustainability and multi-material integration.

She is engaged in national and EU projects, while her ability to connect science with companies is reflected through an innovation project that she was leading. Dr. Ponjavić actively participates in panels dedicated to the circular economy and sustainable chemical processes. Through a multidisciplinary approach, she successfully integrates chemistry, microbiology and engineering in order to create sustainable solutions for the challenges of modern society.