Magdalena Grce

Dr. Magdalena Grce is a prominent researcher at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, where she serves as President of the Expert Scientific Council for Biomedicine within the Division of Molecular Medicine. Her extensive career has focused on virology, particularly human papillomavirus (HPV) research, and its connections to various cancers, with special emphasis on cervical and head and neck cancers.

Dr. Grce's research interests span virology in oncology, molecular diagnostics of viral infections, epigenetics in cancer development, and public health approaches to cervical cancer prevention. Her work has significantly contributed to understanding HPV's role in carcinogenesis, particularly examining viral integration, methylation patterns, and molecular biomarkers in HPV-associated cancers. She has been instrumental in developing cervical cancer screening programs in Croatia and has conducted extensive research on HPV prevalence in the Croatian population.

Her publication record shows a clear progression from fundamental HPV detection methods to sophisticated molecular analyses of HPV integration, methylation patterns, and miRNA profiling in cancer development. Recent work focuses on epigenetic changes in head and neck cancers, particularly distinguishing HPV-positive from HPV-negative tumors through methylome and miRNome analysis. Her research has increasingly incorporated multi-omics approaches to identify biomarkers for early detection and prognosis.

Dr. Grce has been actively involved in national and international collaborations, contributing to cervical cancer prevention strategies across Europe. She has participated in numerous workshops and consensus meetings to develop guidelines for HPV testing and cervical cancer screening. Her work extends beyond basic research into public health implementation, with significant contributions to establishing organized cervical cancer screening programs in Croatia.

She maintains strong collaborative ties with researchers across Europe, particularly in the field of HPV-related cancers and molecular diagnostics. Her laboratory at the Ruđer Bošković Institute serves as a reference center for HPV testing and molecular analysis in Croatia, supporting both clinical diagnostics and research initiatives in the region.