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Iva Toli\u0107 is a Full Member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Head of the Cell Biophysics Laboratory at the Ru\u0111er Bo\u0161kovi\u0107 Institute. She earned her degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Zagreb and completed her PhD research jointly at Harvard University and the University of Zagreb, followed by postdoctoral training in Copenhagen and Florence. From 2004 to 2014, she led a research group at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden. In 2015, she returned to her hometown of Zagreb. She has established an international reputation through a series of fundamental discoveries of the biophysical principles underlying cell division. She is the author of more than 110 scientific publications in leading journals, including Nature<\/em> and Science<\/em>, which have attracted more than 10,000 citations, and has supervised 25 PhD students. She was elected a member of Academia Europaea and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). Her awards include the Ignaz Lieben Prize, the Order of Danica Hrvatska, the Croatian State Award for Science, and numerous other distinctions. She has delivered more than 200 invited lectures worldwide and has led over 15 competitive research projects, including two prestigious grants from the European Research Council (ERC).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Education <\/strong><\/p>\n 2002\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PhD, Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, Croatia; supervisor: Nenad Trinajsti\u0107<\/p>\n 1996 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Diploma, Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, Croatia<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Current position<\/strong><\/p>\n 2021 \u2013 now \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Head of Laboratory for Cell Biophysics, Ru\u0111er Bo\u0161kovi\u0107 Institute, Zagreb, Croatia<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous positions<\/strong><\/p>\n 2014 \u2013 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Senior Research Group Leader and Full Professor<\/p>\n Ru\u0111er Bo\u0161kovi\u0107 Institute, Zagreb, Croatia<\/p>\n 2010 \u2013 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Senior Research Group Leader, W2 (equivalent to Associate Professor)<\/p>\n Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany<\/p>\n 2004 \u2013 2009 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Research Group Leader, W1 (equivalent to Assistant Professor)<\/p>\n Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany<\/p>\n 2003 \u2013 2004 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Francesco Pavone<\/p>\n LENS – European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, Florence, Italy<\/p>\n 2001 \u2013 2002 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Lene Oddershede and Prof. Kirstine Berg-S\u00f8rensen<\/p>\n Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark<\/p>\n 1999 \u2013 2001 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Visiting PhD student with Prof. Ning Wang<\/p>\n Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA<\/p>\n 1996 \u2013 1999 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Research assistant in the group of Prof. Nenad Trinajsti\u0107<\/p>\n Ru\u0111er Bo\u0161kovi\u0107 Institute, Zagreb, Croatia<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Awards, honors, elected academy memberships <\/strong><\/p>\n 2026\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Elected member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts<\/p>\n 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Elected member of Academia Europaea<\/p>\n 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Elected EMBO member<\/p>\n 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Outstanding Paper Award in the category Life Sciences, European Microscopy Society<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ignaz L. Lieben Award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Award “Didak” for science, Croatia<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Award for an outstanding contribution to the development of molecular life sciences, Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology<\/p>\n 2017 \u2013 2026\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9 annual awards for outstanding scientific papers, Ru\u0111er Bo\u0161kovi\u0107 Institute<\/p>\n 2016\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 National Science Award of the Republic of Croatia<\/p>\n 2016\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Croatian Women of Influence Award<\/p>\n 2015\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Special award of the Ru\u0111er Bo\u0161kovi\u0107 Institute for outstanding contribution to the scientific excellence and international recognition of the institute, Croatia<\/p>\n 2015\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 European Biophysical Societies Association EBSA Young Investigators’ Medal and Prize<\/p>\n 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 MRAK award for creativity in science, Croatia<\/p>\n 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Order of Danica Hrvatska for science, outstanding contributions to science and its promotion in the Republic of Croatia and the world<\/p>\n 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 European Life Science Award in the category Investigator of the Year<\/p>\n 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chosen by the journal Cell as one of 40 scientists from around the world and working in diverse biological fields, “40 under 40”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Publications and citations: <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Ten selected original scientific articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Career grants <\/strong><\/p>\n 2020 \u2013 2026\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ERC Synergy Grant (corresponding PI): Molecular origins of aneuploidies in healthy and<\/p>\n diseased human tissues.<\/p>\n 2015 \u2013 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ERC Consolidator Grant: A new class of microtubules in the spindle exerting forces on<\/p>\n kinetochores.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other competitive research grants:<\/strong> 5 from the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ), 6 from the German Research Foundation (DFG), and 4 from other agencies.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Invited talks at leading conferences and research institutes (~200 talks):<\/strong><\/p>\n Keynote talks<\/strong><\/p>\n 2025\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 FASEB conference Cytoskeletal Structure, Dynamics, and Function, Southbridge, MA, USA<\/p>\n 2025\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4th MOSBRI Scientific Conference, Paris, France<\/p>\n 2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 15th Meeting of the Slovenian Biochemical Society, Portoro\u017e, Slovenia<\/p>\n 2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The International Dictyostelium meeting 2023, Opatija, Croatia<\/p>\n 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Paris Cytoskeleton Day, Paris, France (virtual)<\/p>\n 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Physics Meets Biology 2021, Oxford, United Kingdom (virtual)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Plenary talks<\/strong><\/p>\n 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6th Meeting of the Croatian Association for Cancer Research (CACR), Zagreb, Croatia<\/p>\n 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 13th Annual Meeting of the Austrian Association of Molecular Life Sciences and Biotechnology<\/p>\n (\u00d6GMBT), Vienna, Austria (virtual)<\/p>\n 2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Congress of the Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (HDBMB) Crossroads<\/p>\n in Life Sciences, Lovran, Croatia<\/p>\n 2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Symposium talk at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting\u00a02019, Washington, USA<\/p>\n 2015\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12th Multinational Congress on Microscopy, Eger, Hungary<\/p>\n 2015\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10th EBSA European Biophysics Congress, Dresden, Germany<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Invited talks at established conferences and workshops (selection)<\/strong><\/p>\n 2026\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biophysical Society Annual Meeting 2026, San Francisco, USA<\/p>\n 2025\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO Workshop Chromosome Segregation and Aneuploidy, Stresa, Italy<\/p>\n 2024\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course Molecular mechanisms in signal transduction and cancer, Spetses, Greece<\/p>\n 2024\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO Workshop Dynamic kinetochore, Caux, Switzerland<\/p>\n 2024\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO|EMBL Symposium The mechanics of life: from development to disease, Heidelberg, Germany<\/p>\n 2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO Workshop Physics of living systems: From physical principles to biological function, Dresden, Germany<\/p>\n 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO Workshop The cell cycle: One engine \u2013 many cycles, Konstanz, Germany<\/p>\n 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO Workshop Dynamic kinetochore, Oslo, Norway<\/p>\n 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO|EMBL Symposium Microtubules: from atoms to complex systems, Heidelberg, Germany<\/p>\n 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO Workshop: Chromosome segregation and aneuploidy, Vienna, Austria<\/p>\n 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cell Bio Virtual 2021,\u00a0ASCB | EMBO Meeting, USA (virtual)<\/p>\n 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Biophysical Society 65nd Annual Meeting, USA (virtual)<\/p>\n 2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 EMBO Workshop on Meiosis, La Rochelle, France<\/p>\n 2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Stochastic Physics in Biology, Ventura, CA, USA<\/p>\n 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Meiosis, New London, NH, USA<\/p>\n 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biophysical Society 62nd Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Motile and Contractile Systems, New London, NH, USA<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacques Monod Conference Actin and microtubule cytoskeleton, Roscoff, France<\/p>\n 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, USA<\/p>\n 2012\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biophysical Society 56th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA<\/p>\n 2012\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Plant and Microbial Cytoskeleton, Andover, NH, USA<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Invited seminars at research institutes and universities (selection)<\/strong><\/p>\n Harvard (Cambridge, MA, USA), California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA, USA), Curie Institute (Paris, France), ETH Z\u00fcrich (Switzerland), University of Geneva (Switzerland), Utrecht University (Netherlands), Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology (T\u00fcbingen, Germany), MRC Clinical Sciences Centre (London, UK), MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Cambridge, UK) etc.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Panel memberships and peer reviewing<\/strong><\/p>\n 2020 \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0now \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the ERC Starting Grants Panel (2020, 2023, 2025)<\/p>\n 2022 \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0now \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the Swiss National Science Foundation Starting Grants Panel<\/p>\n 2023 \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02024 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the Wellcome Discovery Award Interview Panel<\/p>\n 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jury member for the National Fund for Scientific Research Quinquennial Prize, Belgium<\/p>\n 2018 \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0now \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the Advisory Editorial Board of Life Science Alliance<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the German Science Foundation Panel for Collaborative Research Centers<\/p>\n 2005 \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0now\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Peer reviewer for journals: Nature, Science, Nature Cell Biology, PNAS USA, Current Biology, eLife, Molecular Biology of the Cell, EMBO Journal etc.<\/p>\n 2005 \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0now\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reviewer for funding agencies: ERC, Swiss National Science Foundation, Wellcome Foundation, German Research Foundation, Human Frontier Science Program etc.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Organization of scientific meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n 2019 \u2013 now\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Organizer, with Nenad Pavin, of the conference Mitotic Spindle: From Living and Synthetic Systems to Theory, Croatia (2019, 2021, 2023, 2026)<\/p>\n 2025\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Co-organizer of BioMatter: From Cytoskeleton to Embryo, Arolla, Switzerland<\/p>\n 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the International Scientific Committee of the 45th FEBS Congress Molecules of Life: Towards New Horizons, Ljubljana, Slovenia<\/p>\n 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Minisymposium co-chair at the 2nd ASCB\u2502EMBO Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA<\/p>\n 2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Symposium co-chair at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Francisco, CA, USA<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Organizer of the EMBO Conference on Meiosis, Hvar, Croatia<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Co-organizer of ELMI \u2013 17th European Light Microscopy Initiative meeting, Dubrovnik, Croatia<\/p>\n 2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the Program Committee and session chair at the 9th International Fission Yeast Meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada<\/p>\n 2016\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the International Advisory Committee for the conference From Solid State to Biophysics VIII, Cavtat, Croatia<\/p>\n 2015\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the Organizing Committee for the EMBO Conference on Meiosis, Oxford, UK<\/p>\n 2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the Program Committee and session co-chair at the EMBO Conference Pombe 2013, 7th International Fission Yeast Meeting, London, UK<\/p>\n 2012, 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of the Program Committee for the 11th and 12th Greta Pifat Mrzljak International School of Biophysics, Primo\u0161ten, Croatia<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Mentoring: <\/strong>25 PhD students, 14 post-doctoral researchers, 28 Bachelor’s or Master’s theses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Iva Toli\u0107 – Personal Page<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n
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