Jelena Podgorac

Dr. Jelena Podgorac is a Research Associate in the Department of Neurophysiology at the Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković," which is a National Institute of the Republic of Serbia affiliated with the University of Belgrade. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Belgrade (2007) and earned her PhD from the University of Kragujevac (2014) with research focused on valproic acid's effects during gestation on mouse offspring behavior and motor development.

Her primary research interests include developmental neuroscience, neurotoxicology, and electrophysiology, with specific focus on prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs and their effects on neurobehavioral development. Her work extensively examines the impact of valproic acid and levetiracetam on rodent models, analyzing physical, nociceptive, emotional, and psychomotor responses during development. She employs advanced techniques including EEG and ECoG analysis, spectral and fractal measures of neural activity, and behavioral testing in rodent models.

Dr. Podgorac's recent publications reveal a strong trend toward investigating the dose-dependent effects of antiepileptic drugs during gestation, with particular attention to behavioral outcomes in offspring. Her research spans multiple disciplines including neuropharmacology, developmental biology, and electrophysiology, demonstrating interdisciplinary approaches to understanding how prenatal exposures affect neural development and function.

• Symposium: "Harnessing the Power of advanced Technologies for Group-Housed Animal Research", Granada, 2023
• "High Throughput Communication between Brain and Machines" COST Action NeuroMath (BM0601)
• "Consciousness of the self – Consciousness of others" COST Action (BM0605)

Dr. Podgorac serves as an invited reviewer for the World Journal of Pediatrics and is actively involved in COST Actions including CA22114 "Maternal Perinatal Stress and Adverse Outcomes in the Offspring." She is a member of the Serbian Medical Society, Serbian Biological Society, Serbian Neuroscience Society, and FENS (Federation of European Neuroscience Societies).