Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade

Team Leader

Team Staff

About MFUB

Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade (MFUB) is a leading university education institution in Serbia that provides high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and performs scientific research in basic sciences, clinical medicine, and public health.

Department: The Institute of Hygiene and Medical Ecology, a teaching and research department within MFUB, has been conducting scientific research on the effects of environmental noise on human health for many decades. Our previous projects aimed at estimating the prevalence of arterial hypertension in urban residents and children exposed to high noise levels compared to those living in quieter study areas, identifying populations at risk from cardiovascular diseases, sleep disturbances, and annoyance related to noise exposure, and evaluating blood pressure and hemodynamic changes in healthy adults exposed to noise in experimental settings. Our expertise comprises environmental noise measurements, individual noise exposure assessment, noise annoyance and subjective noise sensitivity assessment, nutritional status assessment, and cardiovascular monitoring.

Role in the MARKOPOLO project: Within the MARKOPOLO project, MFUB supports the estimation of the physiological mechanisms which account for the effects of noise on stress hormones, oxidative stress, inflammation, and the cardiovascular system. Our research goal is to analyse the differences in stress reactions and cardiovascular parameters between individuals with normal weight and those who are overweight/obese and to understand the processes underlying the effects of short-term road-traffic noise exposure. To achieve this, MFUB is strongly supported by our partner – the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (VINS).

WP involvement: MFUB participates in work packages WP4-WP6 that evaluate human health risks of air pollutants and noise sources on cardiovascular health indices. MFUB and VINS supply data for the initial and advanced Omics screening and biomarker discovery, as depicted in WP9-WP10. Our work will be applied to investigate noise-induced exposome pathways as the main outcome of the MARKOPOLO project.

Team Leader

Team Staff

About VINS

The Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (VINS) in Belgrade, Serbia, is a leading research institution dedicated to advancements in nuclear sciences, physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental sciences. VINS is also a member of the University of Belgrade and has been actively involved in the organization of basic, postgraduate and doctoral studies. Within the VINS, our group is a part of the Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology which conducts research on molecular mechanisms of diseases, including cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. Our research areas also include endocrine system regulation, oxidative stress and antioxidant defence, and molecular biomarkers for disease diagnosis and therapy, contributing to scientific innovation, medical advancements, and public health improvements.

Role in MARKOPOLO: Along with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade (MFUB), the VINS group will assess short-term effects of road-traffic noise on cardiovascular, stress, and inflammation markers, comparing exposure vs. quiet conditions and exploring differences related to age, gender, nutritional status, noise annoyance, and subjective noise sensitivity level in overweight/obese individuals. Our group will also be responsible for obtaining blood samples for omics analysis and involved in processing the collected data.