Skip to main content
  1. Ruđer Bošković Institute
  2. Divisions
  3. Division of Molecular Biology
  4. Laboratory of Evolutionary Genet...
  5. Employees
  6. Barbara Milutinović

Dr. Barbara Milutinović

Research associate
E-mail
barbara.milutinovic@irb.hr
Telephone
+385 1 456 1099
Department
Division of Molecular Biology
Laboratory
Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics
Address
Ruđer Bošković Institute
Wing 5, room 106
Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb
Google Scholar

Education

2014 - PhD, University of Münster, Germany - Evolutionary biology

2009 - MSc, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Research Areas

Projects

Evolutionary Ecology Group

Research:

How do animal groups cope with increased susceptibility to infectious diseases?
Living in groups brings many benefits, but it also increases disease risk due to close interactions among individuals. Eusocial insects, such as ants, bees, and termites, have evolved sophisticated collective defense strategies against pathogens, known as social immunity, which involve coordinated responses at the colony level.

However, most of our understanding of these behavioural defences comes from studies on eusocial species, while relatively little is known about disease management in other group-living animals—which represent the majority of social species. Our research addresses this critical knowledge gap by using flour beetles (Tribolium) as a model. Specifically, we investigate how these non-eusocial animals detect pathogens and prevent epidemics within their groups, thereby providing insights relevant to a broader range of animal societies.

Evolution of cooperation in the context of disease

In addition to studying group-level disease defenses in Tribolium as a non-eusocial host, our group investigates whether and under what ecological or social conditions infectious disease can promote cooperative behaviors. Unlike eusocial insects, where cooperation is obligate, Tribolium beetles offer a unique opportunity to test if cooperation can emerge facultatively in response to disease pressure. This line of research aims to uncover how pathogen risk may act as a selective force shaping social interactions in group-living animals.

News

March 2026

In March, Matteo Polato, a student from the University of Ferrara (Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Italy), joined our laboratory for a two-month Erasmus+ traineeship. We are very happy to have Matteo in our group and wish him a successful and enjoyable stay in Zagreb.

January 2026

We are pleased to welcome Wouter Boumeester from ROC Midden Nederland to the Laboratory for Evolutionary Genetics for a six-month internship. During his stay, Wouter will work on the behavioural aspects of immunity in Tribolium beetles, contributing to ongoing research on how group-living insects mitigate disease risk through collective behaviours. We look forward to his contributions and to a productive collaboration

September 2025 

This September, we are excited to welcome two Erasmus+ internship students from the University of Granada, Spain: Raúl Díes Martínez and Marta Ramírez Rivero. They will be joining our team for the coming months, contributing their enthusiasm and skills to our research. We look forward to working together and wish them a great start in Zagreb!

We are also excited to share that our lab received a new laminar flow hood, funded through the Returning Scientists project, supported by the EU’s NextGenerationEU program. This important upgrade will strengthen our experimental work and provide more efficient lab conditions.

July 2025

Olivio Encoge successfully defended his Bachelor’s thesis from the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal. As part of his Erasmus internship in our lab, Olivio conducted his thesis work and presented his results in a final lecture, with his committee members joining us online. We thank him for his great contribution and wish him all the best in his future endeavors!

June 2025

We welcomed Inci Uysal as Erasmus+ student from Bogazici University (Turkey). Inci will stay with us for three months to help with behavioural experiments in Tribolium.

April 2025

We welcomed two Erasmus+ students: Olivio Encoge from Setúbal University (Portugal) and Katarina Friščić from the University of Padova (Italy). We’re looking forward to a productive and fun spring together!

February 2025
We’re excited to welcome three new MSc students to our group: Nina Randić, Tamara-Ana Krušelj, and Vanda Rajak, who will be conducting their thesis research with us.