Institute for Medical Research
Center of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism
Cara Dušana 6
11 000 Belgrade
phone: +381-11-4061747
e-mail: ivanasarac@yahoo.com

Education

1991 – 1998: Medical doctor (MD), University of Belgrade, School of medicine.
1998–2004: MPhil (MSc). Master of philosophy studies in Nutrition, Department of Hygiene and Medical Ecology, University of Belgrade, School of medicine. Master thesis: “NUTRITIONAL RISK FACTORS IN MENSTRUAL CYCLE DISORDERS”.
2002-2006: Medical specialization in Hygiene, University of Nis, Medical School, Department of Hygiene and Medical Ecology. Final elaborate: “DIETARY FATS IN COLLECTIVE NUTRITION SYSTEMS FOR THE PRE-SCHOOL AND SCHOOL CHILDREN OF THE DISTRICTS OF NISAVA AND TOPLICA (SOUTH SERBIA) IN PERIOD 2001-2006”.
2006–2014: PhD. Doctor of philosophy studies in “Nutrition, Metabolism and Obesity”, University of Surrey, Postgraduate medical school, Department of metabolism and diabetes, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom. PhD thesis: “THE EFFECT OF RIMONABANT AND GENDER ON LIPID KINETICS IN OBESITY”.

Working experience

1998 – 1999: Internship at University of Belgrade, School of medicine.
1999: State exam.
1999 – 2002: professional collaborator (medical representative),Galenikaa.d., Belgrade, Department of Marketing, Department of Medical research.
2002 – 2002: volunteer medical doctor on specialisation in Hygiene, Institute of Public Health of Nis, Department of Hygiene.
2010 – 2016: general practitioner (GP), “Department of occupational health care Nis”.
2010- 2017: Junior researcher, Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism
Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade.
2017- present: Scientific Associate researcher, Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism
Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade.

Projects

2016: Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia: ”Intake, status and biological action of folate and PUFA: Improvement of Nutrition in Serbia “(No: III 41030).
2007: Medical Research Council/United Kingdom, University of Surrey/United Kingdom, Royal Surrey County Hospital/United Kingdom and European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes: “The Effect of Rimonabant on Energy Expenditure, Fat Metabolism and Body Composition” (registered clinical trial at ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00584389)- collaborating during PhD studies.
2008: Medical Research Council/United Kingdom, University of Surrey/United Kingdom, Royal Surrey County Hospital/United Kingdom and European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes: “Gender differences in VLDL1 and VLDL2 triglyceride kinetics and fatty acid kinetics in obese postmenopausal women and obese men”- collaborating during PhD studies.

Courses and trainings

2003: Certificate of postgraduate course in “Nutritional and hygienic safety in production, distribution and commercialization of food and beverages”, University “La Sapienza” in Rome, Italy, School of Medicine, Department of Hygiene. Final elaborate: “NUTRITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN METABOLIC SYNDROME”.
2004: Postgraduate research training program in “Nutritional epidemiology”, University of Athens, School of Medicine, Department of Hygiene, National School of Public Health, National Centre for Nutrition and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition. Research programs: International Agency for Research on Cancer – World Health Organization (IARC-WHO) and European Commission: “European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)”; European Commission and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA): “The Data Food Networking (DAFNE) initiative: European food availability databank based on household budget surveys”; “Traditional Mediterranean Diets”; “The characteristic of diet and nutrition in Serbia and Montenegro”. Final elaborate: “THE CHARACTERISTIC OF DIET AND NUTRITION IN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO: COMPARISON WITH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES”.

Research interests

Ivana Šarac, MD, MPhil/MSc, PhD is a medical doctor, specialist of Hygiene, with MSc and PhD in Nutrition and Metabolism. Since 2016, she works at Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for medical research University of Belgrade. Her research interests covered the following areas:
• Nutrition and metabolism,
• Gender differences in metabolism,
• The impact of obesity on metabolism,
• Physiopathology and endocrinology of obesity, metabolic syndrome and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating and night eating syndrome),
• The role of nutrition in menstrual cycle disorders,
• Metabolismin postmenopause,
• Metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates,
• Research of metabolism of lipids kinetics (free fatty acids and triglycerides) by the use of stable isotopes,
• Research of central and peripheral effects of a CB1 receptors blocker (“rimonabant”) in obese postmenopausal women, with focus on production and catabolism of VLDL1 and VLDL2triglycerides, beta oxidation of fatty acids, insulin resistance, basal metabolism and adipokines levels,
• Comparison of peripheral metabolic effects of a hypocaloric diet and a CB1 receptors blocker (“rimonabant”), with focus on production and catabolism of VLDL1 and VLDL2triglycerides, beta oxidation of fatty acids, insulin resistance, basal metabolism and adipokines levels, in obese postmenopausal women,
• Nutrition and hyperlipidaemias (and nutritional recommendations)
• Nutrition and diabetes (and nutritional recommendations)
• Nutrition and metabolic syndrome (and nutritional recommendations)
• Nutrition and immune reaction
• The role of macro- and micro- nutrients in nutrition: metabolic effects and effects on health (and nutritional recommendations)
• Nutritional recommendations in prevention of chronic diseases
• Nutritional recommendations in children
• Public health nutrition
• Diet, nutrition and nutritional status in Serbia – before and nowadays
• Quality of nutrition of certain population subgroups (collective nutrition)
• Improvement of diet, nutrition and nutritional status at population level: health education and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
• Methods for assessment of nutrition and nutritional status (individual and collective)
• Dietetics and diet-therapy

Most relevant publications

• Sarac I, Backhouse K, Shojaee-Moradie F, Stolinski M, Robertson MD, Bell JD, Thomas EL, Hovorka R, Wright J, Umpleby AM. GENDER DIFFERENCES IN VLDL1 AND VLDL2 TRIGLYCERIDE KINETICS AND FATTY ACID KINETICS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AND OBESE MEN.J ClinEndocrinolMetab. 2012 Jul;97(7):2475-81. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-3248.
• Backhouse K, Sarac I, Shojaee-Moradie F, Stolinski M, Robertson MD, Frost GS, Bell JD, Thomas EL, Wright J, Russell-Jones D, Umpleby AM. FATTY ACID FLUX AND OXIDATION ARE INCREASED BY RIMONABANT IN OBESE WOMEN. Metabolism. 2012 Sep;61(9):1220-3. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2012.02.012.