Marija Stankovic, PhD, is an Associate Research Professor at the IMGGE. She obtained BSc in Molecular Biology and Physiology in 2003 and a PhD in Molecular Biology in 2010 at the University of Belgrade. Her scientific work is dedicated to chronic lung diseases, which affect a large population, have an unknown etiology and have no cure. During her research, she established research interests towards molecular and genetic aspects of inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue remodelling within lung pathologies. One of the main focuses of her research is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. A great challenge in her research encompasses elucidation of the effects of exogenous factors such as cigarette smoke, allergens and microbes in interactions with lungs, as well as explorations of potential therapeutics. During her research career, Dr Marija Stankovic has gained a broad national and international research experience on various aspects of human pathologies and model systems, and made collaborations with clinicians and researchers. She has participated in a number of national and international scientific projects. She was a Principal Investigator of research granted by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (PROMIS LABLUNG 6066974) and the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia (IV665). Her research is multidisciplinary directed including basic research of risk factors and their interactions, patient samples, clinical data, explorations of potential therapeutics and beneficial agents, and application of bioinformatic tools.