2015 - 2020: PhD in Biology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.

      2015 – 2020: PhD work with Prof. Iva Tolić, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia.

      2013 - 2015: MSc in Molecular biology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.

      2014 – 2015: Research assistant in the group of Prof. Iva Tolić, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia.

      2010 - 2013: BSc in Biology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.

• Mechanisms of mitotic spindle's adaptation to different genome sizes - SpinGen

  20.12.2024 - 19.12.2027 | 199,525.00 EUR

  CroRISIRB

• Annual award of the Ruđer Bošković Institute for the scientific paper "Microtubule sliding within the bridging fiber pushes kinetochore fibers apart to segregate chromosomes" in 2017.
• Honour for special achievements as a student in 2013 from University of Zagreb.
• Cover page of Developmental Cell international scientific journal (Volume 43, Issue 1)
• Scholarship from Croatian Ministry of education and sports in 2011.
• Scholarship from City of Split for especially talented students in 2014.

1. Kajtez J.*, Solomatina A.*, Novak M.*, Polak B., Vukušić K., Rüdiger J., Cojoc G., Milas A., Šumanovac Šestak I., Risteski P., Tavano F., Klemm A.H., Roscioli E., Welburn J., Cimini D., Glunčić M., Pavin N.#, Tolić I.M.#.Overlap microtubules link sister k-fibers and balance the forces on bioriented kinetochores. Nature Communications, 7, 10298 (2016).

2. Vukušić, K.*, Buda, R.*, Bosilj, A.*, Milas, A., Pavin, N.#, and Tolić, I.M.# Microtubule Sliding within the Bridging Fiber Pushes Kinetochore Fibers Apart to Segregate Chromosomes. Developmental Cell, 43, 11-23 e16 (2017). 

3. Vukušić, K.*, Ponjavić, I.*, Buđa, R. Risteski, P., and Tolić, I.M#.Microtubule sliding modules based on kinesins EG5 and PRC1-dependent KIF4A drive human spindle elongation. Developmental Cell, 56(9): 1253-1267.e10 (2021).

4. Vukušić, K.*, Buda, R.*, and Tolić, I.M.# Force-generating mechanisms of anaphase in human cells. Journal of Cell Science, 132: jcs231985 (2019).

5.  Vukušić,K.  and Tolić, I.M.# Anaphase B: Long-standing models meet new concepts. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 117:127-139 (2021).

6. Ponjavić, Ivana; Vukušić, Kruno; Tolić, Iva M. Expansion microscopy of the mitotic spindle.
Methods in Cell Biology, 161: 247-274 (2021).

7. Buđa, Renata; Vukušić, Kruno; Tolić, Iva M. Dissection and characterization of microtubule bundles in the mitotic spindle using femtosecond laser ablation. Methods in Cell Biology, 139: 81–101 (2017).

8. Vukušić, Kruno; Šikić, Sanda; Balen, Biljana. Therapeutic proteins produced in plants: towards engineering of human-type O-and N-glycosylation. Periodicum Biologorum, 118, 75-90 (2016).

Original scientific paper

• Ponjavić, Ivana; Vukušić, Kruno; Tolić, Iva M. | Expansion microscopy of the mitotic spindle // Expansion Microscopy for Cell Biology / Guichard, Paul; Hamel, Virginie (ur.). | Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2021. str. 247-274 . doi: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2020.04.014

  doiwww.sciencedirect.comfulir.irb.hr

• Buđa, Renata ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Tolić, Iva Marija | Dissection and characterization of microtubule bundles in the mitotic spindle using femtosecond laser ablation // Cell Polarity and Morphogenesis / Methods in Cell Biology. | Elsevier, 2017. str. 81-101 . doi: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.11.007

  doiwww.sciencedirect.com

Original scientific paper

• Koprivec, Isabella; Štimac, Valentina; Đura, Mario; Vukušić, Kruno; Mikec, Petra; Tolić, Iva M. | Polar chromosomes are rescued from missegregation by spindle elongation-driven microtubule pivoting // Nature communications, 17 (2026), 1; 2049, 21. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-69830-1

  doiwww.nature.comwww.nature.comdoi.org

• Vukušić, Kruno; Tolić, Iva M. | CENP-E initiates chromosome congression by opposing Aurora kinases to promote end-on attachments // Nature communications, 16 (2025), 1; 8537, 19. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64148-w

  doiwww.nature.comfulir.irb.hr

• Vukušić, Kruno; Tolić, Iva M. | Kinetochore-centrosome feedback linking CENP-E and Aurora kinases controls chromosome congression // Nature communications, 16 (2025), 1; 9097, 15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64804-1

  doiwww.nature.comfulir.irb.hr

• Zekušić, Marija; Skoko, Marija; Vukušić, Kruno; Ledinski, Maja; Bujić Mihica, Marina; Blažević, Dejan; Sošić, Zlata A.; Đura, Mario; Martinčić, Jelena; Zimić, Ivana Vrgoč et al. | Deep-freezing and decontamination strategy for a large autologous bone graft with presentation of the osteogenic potential of resident osteoblasts // Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 17 (2025), 1; 13, 34. doi: 10.1186/s13287-025-04839-9

  doifulir.irb.hrlink.springer.com

• Biswas, Leelabati; Tyc, Katarzyna M.; Aboelenain, Mansour; Sun, Siqi; Dundović, Iva; Vukušić, Kruno; Liu, Jason; Guo, Vanessa; Xu, Min; Scott, Richard T. et al. | Maternal genetic variants in kinesin motor domains prematurely increase egg aneuploidy // Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121 (2024), 45; e2414963121, 12. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2414963121

  doiwww.pnas.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Sacristan, Carlos; Samejima, Kumiko; Ruiz, Lorena Andrade; Deb, Moonmoon; Lambers, Maaike L.A.; Buckle, Adam; Brackley, Chris A.; Robertson, Daniel; Hori, Tetsuya; Webb, Shaun et al. | Vertebrate centromeres in mitosis are functionally bipartite structures stabilized by cohesin // Cell, 187 (2024), 12; 3006-3023.e26. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.014

  doiwww.cell.comfulir.irb.hr

• Zekušić, Marija; Bujić Mihica, Marina; Skoko, Marija; Vukušić, Kruno; Risteski, Patrik; Martinčić, Jelena; Tolić, Iva Marija; Bendelja, Krešo; Ramić, Snježana; Dolenec, Tamara et al. | New characterization and safety evaluation of human limbal stem cells used in clinical application: fidelity of mitotic process and mitotic spindle morphologies // Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 14 (2023), 368, 26. doi: 10.1186/s13287-023-03586-z

  doistemcellres.biomedcentral.comfulir.irb.hr

• Zeeshan, Mohammad; Rea, Edward; Abel, Steven; Vukušić, Kruno; Markus, Robert; Brady, Declan; Eze, Antonius; Rashpa, Ravish; Balestra, Aurelia C.; Bottrill, Andrew R. et al. | Plasmodium ARK2 and EB1 drive unconventional spindle dynamics, during chromosome segregation in sexual transmission stages // Nature communications, 14 (2023), 1; 5652, 19. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41395-3

  doiwww.nature.comfulir.irb.hr

• Klaasen, Sjoerd J. ; Truong, My Anh ; van Jaarsveld, Richard H. ; Koprivec, Isabella ; Štimac, Valentina ; de Vries, Sippe G. ; Risteski, Patrik ; Kodba, Snježana ; Vukušić, Kruno ; de Luca, Kim L. et al. | Nuclear chromosome locations dictate segregation error frequencies // Nature, 607 (2022), 7919; 604-609. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04938-0

  doiwww.nature.comfulir.irb.hr

• Vukušić, Kruno ; Ponjavić, Ivana ; Buđa, Renata ; Risteski, Patrik ; Tolić, Iva M. | Microtubule-sliding modules based on kinesins EG5 and PRC1-dependent KIF4A drive human spindle elongation // Developmental cell, 56 (2021), 9; 1253-1267e10. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.04.005

  doiwww.sciencedirect.comfulir.irb.hr

• Vukušić, Kruno ; Buđa, Renata ; Bosilj, Agneza ; Milas, Ana ; Pavin, Nenad ; Tolić, Iva Marija | Microtubule Sliding within the Bridging Fiber Pushes Kinetochore Fibers Apart to Segregate Chromosomes // Developmental cell, 43 (2017), 1; 11-23e6. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.09.010

  doidoi.orgwww.cell.comfulir.irb.hr

• Kajtez, Janko ; Solomatina, Anastasia ; Novak, Maja ; Polak, Bruno ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Rüdiger, Jonas ; Cojoc, Gheorge ; Milas, Ana ; Šumanovac Šestak, Ivana ; Risteski, Patrik et al. | Overlap microtubules link sister k-fibres and balance the forces on bi-oriented kinetochores // Nature communications, 7 (2016), 10298, 11. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10298

  doidoi.orgwww.nature.comfulir.irb.hr

• Vukušić, Kruno ; Šikić, Sandra ; Balen, Biljana | Recombinant therapeutic proteins produced in plants: towards engineering of human-type O-and N-glycosylation // Periodicum biologorum, 118 (2016), 2; 75-90. doi: 10.18054/pb.2016.118.2.3845

  doihrcak.srce.hr

Review article (scientific)

• Vukušić, Kruno ; Tolić, Iva M. | Anaphase B: Long-standing models meet new concepts // Seminars in cell & developmental biology, 117 (2021), 127-139. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.03.023

  doiwww.sciencedirect.comfulir.irb.hr

• Vukušić, Kruno ; Buđa, Renata ; Tolić, Iva M. | Force-generating mechanisms of anaphase in human cells // Journal of cell science, 132 (2019), 18; jcs231985, 11. doi: 10.1242/jcs.231985

  doijcs.biologists.orgfulir.irb.hr

Review article (professional)

• Vukušić, Kruno ; Tolić, Iva Marija | Polar Chromosomes - Challenges of a Risky Path // Cells, 11 (2022), 9; 1531, 27. doi: 10.3390/cells11091531

  doiwww.mdpi.comdoi.orgfulir.irb.hr

Sažetak izlaganja sa skupa

• Zekušić, Marija ; Bujić Mihica, Marina ; Jularić, Anamarija ; Dolenec, Tamara ; Skoko, Marija ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Risteski, Patrik ; Tolić, Iva ; Bendelja, Krešo ; Ramić, Snježana et al. | Quality Control of Cultivated Limbal Epithelial Stem Cell For Transplantation. | 2020

  www.hood.com.hr

Unpublished conference paper

• Dundović, Iva ; Koprivec, Isabella ; Štimac, Valentina ; Risteski, Patrik ; Kodba, Snježana ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Tolić, Iva | Peripheral location in early mitotic spindles predisposes chromosomes to persistent monoorientation and risk of mis-segregation // The Consequences of Aneuploidy Conference: Honoring the Contributions of Angelika Amon | Southbridge, SAD, 11.09.2022-16.09.2022

• Zekušić, Marija ; Bujić Mihica, Marina ; Jularić, Anamarija ; Dolenec, Tamara ; Skoko, Marija ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Risteski, Patrik ; Tolić, Iva ; Bendelja, Krešo ; Ramić, Snježana et al. | Quality Control of Cultivated Limbal Epithelial Stem Cell For Transplantation // 15th Symposium of the Croatian Organisation for Cataract and Refractive Surgery, CroCRS 2020, | Zagreb, Hrvatska, 11.09.2020-12.09.2020

  www.hood.com.hr

• Buđa, Renata ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Bosilj, Agneza ; Milas, Ana ; Pavin, Nenad ; Tolić, Iva M. | Forces in bridging fibers segregate chromosomes independently of the attachment to the spindle pole // The EMBO Meeting 2016 | Mannheim, Njemačka, 10.09.2017-13.09.2017

• Buđa, Renata ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Bosilj, Agneza ; Milas, Ana ; Pavin, Nenad ; Tolić, Iva M. | Microtubule sliding in the bridging fiber pushes kinetochore fibers apart to segregate chromosomes // Dynamic kinetochore EMBO Workshop | Edinburgh, Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo, 06.06.2017-09.06.2017

• Buđa, Renata ; Vukušić, Kruno ; Bosilj, Agneza ; Milas, Ana ; Pavin, Nenad ; Tolić, Iva M. | Forces in bridging fibers segregate chromosomes independently of the attachment to the spindle pole // EMBO/EMBL Symposium: Microtubules: From atoms to complex systems | Heidelberg, Njemačka, 29.05.2016-01.06.2016

• Croatian Microscopy Society.