Dr. Maja Dutour Sikirić serves as Associate Professor, Head of Laboratory, and Head of Division at the Ruđer Bošković Institute's Division of Physical Chemistry, Laboratory for biocolloids and surface chemistry in Zagreb, Croatia. With a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Zagreb and postdoctoral experience at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she has established herself as a leading researcher in biomineralization and biomaterials science. Her research focuses on biomineralization processes , particularly the crystallization of calcium phosphates and oxalates, biomimetic design of organic-inorganic composite implants for bone and dental applications, and the solution and solid state properties of gemini surfactants. She has led multiple significant research projects including Croatian Science Foundation projects on calcium phosphate formation mechanisms and Croatian-Serbian bilateral projects on hydroxyapatite for bone engineering. Dr. Dutour Sikirić's extensive publication record demonstrates consistent research productivity with over 150 publications spanning two decades, with recent work (2022-2025) heavily focused on nanomaterial-biomineral interactions , calcium phosphate/TiO 2 composites, silver nanoparticle effects on mineralization, and biomimetic bone engineering approaches. Her research integrates physical chemistry principles with biomedical applications, showing strong interdisciplinary connections between materials science, surface chemistry, and tissue engineering. She has taught courses including Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry at the University of Osijek and Chemistry and Quality Control of Animal Feed at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Agriculture. Her laboratory actively collaborates with international researchers and has secured funding from Croatian Science Foundation, Ministry of Science and Education, and international agencies for biomaterials development projects. Dr. Dutour Sikirić's work has significant implications for bone tissue engineering , with her research on ion-substituted hydroxyapatite, calcium phosphate nanocomposites, and biomimetic coatings directly addressing clinical needs in hard tissue regeneration. Her laboratory serves as a hub for advanced materials characterization and biomimetic synthesis approaches in Croatia's scientific community.







