MSc in Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia

Circulating Extracellular Vesicles as Predictors of Antidepressant Response: Monitoring the Mechanism of Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Depression (PI: Dr. Matea Nikolac Perkovic) - CONTRIBUTOR

• Circulating Extracellular Vesicles as Predictors of Antidepressant Response: Monitoring the Mechanism of Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Depression - EVroPAR

  01.12.2022 - 30.11.2025 | 155,285.69 EUR

  CroRISIRB

AWARD for the BEST POSTER PRESENTATION in the Section "Clinical Pharmacology" at 11th CROATIAN CONGRESS OF PHARMACOLOGY WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION, Split, Croatia. (September 2025). 

AWARD for the BEST ORAL PRESENTATION at 5th Days of PhD students of the doctoral study "Medicinal Chemistry", Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, Rijeka, Croatia. (September 2025).

Travel Grant Recipient – FENS Regional Meeting 2025; Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), Oslo, Norway. Awarded competitive travel grant to attend and present a poster at the FENS FRM 2025. (June 2025).

Best Poster Presentation Award - 8th Faculty of Science PhD Student Symposium, University of Zagreb, Croatia (April 2024)

Review article (scientific)

• Balic, Nikola; Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Milos, Tina; Vuic, Barbara; Kurtovic Kodzoman, Matea; Svob Strac, Dubravka; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana | Extracellular vesicles as a promising tool in neuropsychiatric pharmacotherapy application and monitoring // Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry, 139 (2025), 111393, 12. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111393

  doiwww.sciencedirect.com

• Milos, Tina; Vuic, Barbara; Balic, Nikola; Farkas, Vladimir; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana; Svob Strac, Dubravka; Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Pivac, Nela | Cerebrospinal fluid in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: an update of the literature // Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 24 (2024), 11; 1063-1079. doi: 10.1080/14737175.2024.2400683

  doiwww.tandfonline.comfulir.irb.hr

Original scientific paper

• Balic, Nikola; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana; Konjevod, Marcela; Saiz, Jorge; Curkovic, Tina; Tudor, Lucija; Svob Strac, Dubravka; Videtic Paska, Alja; Smon, Julija; Tusek-Znidaric, Magda et al. | Metabolomic Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles Reveals Distinct Metabolic Dysregulation and Treatment-Specific Signatures in Depression // Biomolecules, 16 (2026), 4; 533-533. doi: 10.3390/biom16040533

  doiwww.mdpi.com

• Konjevod, Marcela; Balic, Nikola; Tudor, Lucija; Uzun, Suzana; Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Vuic, Barbara; Milos, Tina; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana; Mimica, Ninoslav; Pivac, Nela et al. | Lower plasma DHEAS and BDNF levels as indicators of cognitive decline // Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry, 144 (2026), 111605, 12. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2026.111605

  doiwww.sciencedirect.com

• Tudor, Lucija; Videtic Paska, Alja; Konjevod, Marcela; Balic, Nikola; Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Uzun, Suzana; Vuic, Barbara; Milos, Tina; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana; Mimica, Ninoslav et al. | BDNF Val66Met Genotype, DNA Methylation, mRNA, and Protein Levels as Potential Blood-Based Biomarkers for Dementia and Cognitive Decline // International journal of molecular sciences, 26 (2025), 18; 8987, 18. doi: 10.3390/ijms26188987

  doiwww.mdpi.comfulir.irb.hr

Conference abstract

• Balić, Nikola; Tudor, Lucija; Ćurković, Tina; Konjevod, Marcela; Nikolac Perković, Matea; Videtič Paska, Alja; Oblak, Alen; Saje, Marko; Bon, Jurij; Fabijanić, Tea et al. | Extracellular Vesicle Metabolomic Signatures of Response to Pharmacological and Neuromodulation Therapies in Depression // Book of Abstracts of 10th Faculty of Science PhD Student Symposium / Petrović Popović, Petra; Popović, Matija (ur.). | Zagreb: Sveučilište u Zagrebu Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet, 2026. str. 79-79

  drive.google.com

• Balic, Nikola; Tudor, Lucija; Miloš, Tina; Kurtović Kodžoman, Matea; Videtič Paska, Alja; Oblak, Aleš; Saje, Marko; Bon, Jurij; Fabijanić, Tea; Šagud, Marina et al. | Metabolomic insights into treatment-resistant depression: effects of esketamine and transcranial magnetic stimulation // "20TH SCIENTIFIC CFGBC SYMPOSIUM" BOOK OF ABSTRACTS / Nadižar, Nejc (ur.). | Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana, 2025. str. 37-37

  cfgbc.mf.uni-lj.si

• Balic, Nikola; Milos, Tina; Kurtovic Kodzoman, Matea; Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana | Plasma metabolomic profiling in patients with major depressive disorder // FENS Regional Meeting 2025 Abstract book. | Oslo: -, 2025. str. 553-553

  static1.squarespace.com

• Balić, Nikola; Tudor, Lucija; Miloš, Tina; Konjevod, Marcela; Kurtović Kodžoman, Matea; Videtič Paska, Alja; Oblak, Aleš; Saje, Marko; Bon, Jurij; Fabijanić, Tea et al. | Metabolic Profiling Of Major Depressive Disorder And Treatment-Resistant Depression: Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis Of Plasma Samples // 11. Hrvatski kongres farmakologije : Knjiga sažetaka. | Split: -, 2025. str. 67-67

• Nikolac Perković, Matea; Balić, Nikola; Miloš, Tina; Konjevod, Marcela; Nedić Erjavec, Gordana; Tudor, Lucija; Kurtović Kodžoman, Matea; Videtič Paska, Alja; Oblak, Aleš; Saje, Marko et al. | Circulating extracellular vesicles as predictors of antidepressant response // 11. Hrvatski kongres farmakologije : Knjiga sažetaka. | Zagreb: Hrvatsko društvo farmakologa, 2025. str. 51-51

• Tudor, Lucija; Javornik, Žiga; Balić, Nikola; Oblak, Aleš; Saje, Marko; Bon, Jurij; Šmon, Julija; Šalamon Arčan, Iris; Fabijanić, Tea; Šagud, Marina et al. | Extracellular vesicle microRNAs as biomarkers of major depressive disorder and treatment response // "20TH SCIENTIFIC CFGBC SYMPOSIUM" BOOK OF ABSTRACTS / Nadižar, Nejc (ur.). | Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana, 2025. str. 88-88

  cfgbc.mf.uni-lj.si

• Balić, Nikola; Konjevod, Marcela; Švob Štrac, Dubravka; Nedić Erjavec, Gordana | Association of peripheral DHEAS and BDNF with neurocognitive decline in humans // 8th Faculty of Science PhD Student Symposium: Book of Abstracts / Posarić, Laura; Gmižić, Daria; Ostojić, Tea et al. (ur.). | Zagreb: Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 2024. str. 67-67

  www.researchgate.netdrive.google.com

• Vuic, Barbara; Milos, Tina; Balic, Nikola; Farkas, Vladimir; Konjevod, Marcela; Tudor, L.ucija; Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana; Svob Strac, Dubravka | Potential protective role of DHEA(S) and BDNF in an in vitro model of vascular dementia // 8th Faculty of Science PhD Student Symposium: Book of Abstracts / Posarić, Laura; Gmižić, Daria; Ostojić, Tea et al. (ur.). | Zagreb: Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 2024. str. 82-82

• Vuić, Barbara; Miloš, Tina; Balić, Nikola; Farkaš, Vladimir; Tudor, Lucija; Konjevod, Marcela; Nikolac Perković, Matea; Nedić Erjavec, Gordana; Švob Štrac, Dubravka | Potential therapeutic effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cell cultures exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion. | Rijeka: University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, 2024. str. 23-23

Unpublished conference paper

• Balic, Nikola; Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Svob Strac, Dubravka; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana | Metabolomski uvid u učinkovitost terapije kod velikog depresivnog poremećaja i terapijski rezistentne depresije // 5. Dani doktoranada doktorskog studija „Medicinska kemija“ | Rijeka, Hrvatska, 18.09.2025-19.01.2026

Master's thesis (university)

• Balić, Nikola | Polimorfizam gena SULT2A1 i koncentracija dehidroepiandrosteron sulfata (DHEAS) u plazmi osoba s neurokognitivnim poremećajem / Svob Strac, Dubravka; Hranilović, Dubravka (mentor). | Zagreb, Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet, Zagreb, 2023

  repozitorij.pmf.unizg.hr

Bachelor's thesis (university)

• Balic, Nikola; Vukovic, Rosemary; Vukovic Popovic, Ana | Oksidacijski i antioksidacijski status skeletnog mišića pretilih Sprague-Dawley štakora / Vukovic, Rosemary (mentor); Vukovic Popovic, Ana (neposredni voditelj) . | Osijek, Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Odjel za biologiju, 2021

Croatian Pharmacological Society (CPS)

Croatian Society for Neuroscience (HDN)

Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)