Jovana Francuz, PhD
Associate Professor
Chair of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Natural Products
CONTACT
University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection
Office: 10/III
Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3
21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tel: + 381 21 485 2768
e-mail: jovana.francuz@dh.uns.ac.rs
SCOPUS Author ID: 22940871400
EDUCATION
- 2015. PhD in Chemistry, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia
- 2008. MSc in Biochemistry, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia
- 2006. BSc in Chemistry – Biochemistry, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia.
SCIENTIFIC AND ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- 2026-today Full Professor, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia
- 2021-2026. Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia
- 2016-2021. Assistant Professor, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia
- 2013-2016. Teaching Assistant, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia
- 2009-2013. Research Assistant, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia
- 2007-2009. Junior Researcher, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Serbia.
TEACHING
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Molecules significant for medicine
- Biochemistry in health and disease
- Glycobiology
- Biochemistry of narcotic drugs
- Selected Topics of Medicinal Chemistry
- Stereochemistry of Monosaccharides
RESEARCH FIELDS
- Synthesis and confirmation of the structure of natural products
- Synthesis of biologically active compounds
- Design and development of new biologically active compounds
textbooks
- Francuz, J., Glikobiologija, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Novi Sad, 2025.
- Popsavin, V., Popsavin, M., Srećo Zelenović, B., Francuz, J., Kovačević, I. Bioorganski preparati – praktikum, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Novi Sad, 2020.
SELECTED PROJECTS
- Synthesis and biological testing of new mimics or derivatives of selected cytotoxic lactones, antitumor agent tiazofurin and natural naphthenic acids, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (2011-2019)
- Program of scientific research work of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics of the University of Novi Sad, researcher (2020-2026).
- Development and biomedicinal evaluation of potential antitumour agents, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (2015-2026)
- Development of Anticancer Agents for Drug-Resistant Cancers (DAADRAC), Interreg VI-A IPA Croatia – Serbia 2021-2027 Programme (2024-2025).
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Djokić, S., Popsavin, M., Stanisavljević, S., Rodić, M.V., Krüger, B., Filipić, B., Jakimov, D., Hefer, M., Petrović, A., Bjedov, S., Smolić, M., Popsavin, V., Francuz, J. (2026): Structural hybridization as a tool for developing novel biologically active analogues of protulactone A. Bioorg.Chem. 169: 109416.
- Djokić, S., Benedeković, G., Kesić, J., Rodić, M.V., Popsavin, M., Popsavin, V., Francuz, J. (2024): First total synthesis of asperilactone B. Revision of absolute stereochemistry of asperilactones B and C. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry. 22: 4864 -4867.
- Djokić, S., Francuz, J., Popsavin, M., Rodić, M. V., Kojić, V., Stevanović, M., Popsavin, V. (2022): Natural product protulactone A: Total synthesis from D-galactose, X-ray analysis and biological evaluation. Bioorg.Chem. 127: 105980.
- Francuz, J., Kovačević, , Popsavin, M., Benedeković, G., Srećo Zelenović, B., Kojić, V., Jakimov, D., Aleksić, L., Bogdanović, G., Srdić-Rajić, T., Lončar, E., Rodić, M. V., Divjaković, V., Popsavin, V. (2017): Design, synthesis and in vitro antitumour activity of new goniofufurone and 7-epi-goniofufurone mimics with halogen or azido groups at the C-7 position. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 128: 13–24.
- Popsavin, V.,Benedeković,, Srećo, B., Popsavin, M., Francuz, J., Kojić, V., Bogdanović, G. (2007): Divergent synthesis of cytotoxic styryl lactones from d-xylose. The first total synthesis of (+)-crassalactone C. Organic Letters. 9: 4235–4238.
additional information
- Postdoc research fellow (12 weeks) in the laboratory of prof. Christopher R. Coxon, John Moores University in Liverpool, School of pharmacy and biomolecular sciences.
- Erasmus+ staff mobility at University of Aveiro, Portugal (2018)
- Award from Serbian Chemical Society for achieved success during the undergraduated studies (2007)
- Fund for Young Talents “Thousands of the best” awarded by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (2005)
- Member of Serbian Chemical Society, member of Serbian association for cancer research, and member of Serbian Society for Immunology, Molecular Oncology, and Regenerative Medicine