She has 30 years of continuous professional experience at the Department of Neuroendocrinology, Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia. She is a member of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), the European Neuroendocrinological Association (ENEA) and the Serbian Medical Society. She is an associate member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Serbian Medical Society. Her clinical research is mainly dedicated to pituitary adenomas, hypopituitarism and growth hormone disorders. She is the author or co-author of more than 80 original papers and six book chapters. Over the past 16 years, she has participated as a principal investigator or collaborator in nine clinical studies. Her professional focus is on the research in neuroendocrinology.

Participation in projects:

• 1994–1996: “Experimental and clinical studies in endocrinology – endocrine function of the thymus in human reproduction” and “Neuroendocrine regulation of the anterior pituitary gland”, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia
• 2002–2010: “New molecules in the regulation of growth hormone secretion and energy homeostasis in humans. Molecular basis of MEN syndrome and endocrine-dependent tumors”, Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Serbia
• 2011–2023: “Neuroendocrine control of growth hormone secretion in humans – new challenges. Control of energy homeostasis in various pathological conditions. Clinical-pathological correlation and genetic basis of pituitary tumors and neuroendocrine tumors”, project number 175033, Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia
• 2012–2016: “GnRH Deficiency: Elucidation of the Neuroendocrine Control of Human Reproduction”, COST action BM1105 (European Cooperation in Science and Technology)
• 2022–2025: “Prediction, prevention and patients’ participation in diagnosis of selected fungal infections (FI): An implementation of novel method for obtaining tissue specimens”, IDEA program, Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia

Memberships:

· Serbian Medical Society (SLD)

· European Neuroendocrinological Association (ENEA)

· European Society of Endocrinology (ESE)

Publications:

Sandra Đurđević (née Pekić) is the author or co-author of 81 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, with a total of 1634 citations and an h-index of 22.

Work experience:

• February 2008 – August 2008 medical internship, Clinical Center of Serbia
• May 2008 – July 2009 Genetic Laboratory of the Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia
• October 2009 – October 2012 Zvezdara Health Center, Service for Health Care of Adult Citizens
• from November 2012 Clinic for endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia

Foreign languages:

English

Work experience:

• 2013 full professor of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade
• Prof. Dr. Žarković is the head of the department for thyroid diseases at the Endocrinology Clinic in Belgrade
• runs the Graves’ Orbitopathy Center, which is part of EUGOGO (European Group for Graves’ Orbitopathy)

Member of the editorial board of several endocrinological journals and the president of the Serbian Thyroid Society.

He is the secretary of the European Group for Graves’ Orbitopathy and a member of the European Thyroid Association Guidelines Board. He has published professional papers in all leading endocrinology journals such as JCEM, Thyroid, European Journal of Endocrinology and others and is a regular reviewer in leading endocrinology journals.

Memberships:

Serbian Medical Association 1987, President of the endocrinology section of the Serbian Medical Association 2004-2015.
ENEA (European Neuroendocrine Association) 1993
ENETS 2006 –
ESE 2008 –

Projects:

Participant in the project “New molecules in the control of growth hormone secretion and energy homeostasis in humans” and the main researcher in the project: “Molecular bases of MEN syndrome and endocrine-dependent tumors”, financed by the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia (M1717).
Participant in the project “Stress-induced modulation of glucocortioid receptor function”, funded by the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia (Bio1654).
Participant and member of the consortium on the project: “Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder”, financed by the Sixth Framework Program Priority Inco – WBC- 509213.

Publications:

About 100 papers published in peer-reviewed journals; over 1800 citations; H index 18.

1. Popovic V, Damjanovic S, Micic D, Djurovic M, Diguez C, Casanueva F: BLOCKED GROWTH HORMONE-RELEASING PEPTIDE (GHRP-6)-INDUCED GH SECRETION AND ABSCENCE OF THE SYNERGIC ACTION OF GHRP-6 PLUS GH-RELEASING HORMONE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPOTHALAMO-PITUITARY DISCONNECTION; EVIDENCE THAT GHRP-6 MAIN ACTION IS EXERTED AT THE HYPOTHALAMIC LEVEL, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 80: 942-947, 1995.
2. Damjanović SS, Petakov M., Raicević S., Micić D., Marinković J., Diguez C., Casanueva FF., Popović V.: Serum Leptin Levels in Patients With Acromegaly Before and After Correction of Hypersomatotropism by Trans-sphenoidal Surgery. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85:147-154, 2000.
3. Damjanović SS, Nešković A, Petakov M, Popović V, Vujisić B, Petrović M, Đurović M, Simić M, Pekić S, Marinković J. High output heart failure in patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly. Am J Med 112:610-16, 2002.
4. Damjanović SS, Nešković AN, Petakov M, Popović V, Macut D, Vukojević P, Joksimović M. Clinical Indicators of Biochemical Remission in Acromegaly: Does Incomplete Disease Control Always Mean Therapeutic Failure. Clin Endocrinol 62:410-417, 2005.
5. Damjanović SS, Lalić N, Peško PM, Petakov MS, Jotić A, Miljić D, Lalić KS, Lukić Lj, Djurović M, Djukić VB. Acute Effects of Ghrelin on Insulin Secretion and Glucose Disposal Rate in Gastrectomized Patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 91:2574-2581, 2006.
6. Damjanovic SS, Stojic RV, Lalic NM, Jotic AZ, Macut DP, Ognjanovic SI, Petakov MS, Popovic BM. Relationship between Basal Metabolic Rate and Cortisol Secretion throughout Pregnancy. Endocrine, 35:262-268, 2009.
7. Damjanovic SS, Antic JA, Ilic BB, Cokic BB, Ivovic M, Ognjanovic SI, Isailovic TV, Popovic BM, Bozic IB, Tatic S, Matic G, Todorovic VN, Paunovic I. Glucocorticoid receptor and molecular chaperones in the pathogenesis of adrenal incidentalomas: potential role of reduced sensitivity to glucocorticoids. Mol Med, 18:1456-65, 2013.
8. Popovic D, Popovic B, Plecas-Solarovic B, Pešić V, Markovic V, Stojiljkovic S, Vukcevica V, Petrovic I, Banovic M, Petrovica M, Vujisic-Tesic B, Ostojic MC, Ristic A, Damjanovic SS. THE INTERFACE OF HYPOTHALAMIC–PITUITARY–ADRENOCORTICAL AXIS AND CIRCULATING BRAIN NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE IN PREDICTION OF CARDIOPULMONARY PRFORMANCE DURING PHYSICAL STRESS. Peptides, 47:85–93, 2013.
9. Damjanovic SS, et al.: TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS COMPLEX PROTEIN 1 EXPRESSION IS AFFECTED BY VHL GENE ALTERATIONS AND HIF-1Α PRODUCTION IN SPORADIC CLEAR-CELL RENAL CELL CARCINOMA. Exp Mol Pathol, 101:323-331, 2016.
10. Damjanovic SS, Antić JA, Elezović-Kovacević VI, Dunđerovic DM, Milićević IT, Beleslin-Cokic BB et al.: ARMC5 ALTERATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH SPORADIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMORS AND MULTIPLE ENDOCRINE NEOPLASIA TYPE 1 (MEN1). J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 105:e4531-e4542, 2020.