INSTITUT ZA ONKOLOGIJU I RADIOLOGIJU SRBIJE

Their core work

The Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia is Serbia's primary national institution for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research, based in Belgrade. In the H2020 programme, they contributed both as a clinical-research partner in lung cancer diagnostics — specifically non-invasive blood-based testing for therapy guidance — and as a coordinator of translational research into drug repurposing for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Their laboratory and clinical infrastructure supports experimental oncology work including ex vivo organ culture models and molecular profiling of the tumor microenvironment. As the country's specialist oncology center, they bridge clinical patient cohorts with laboratory science, a combination that makes them a credible partner for translational cancer research across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earliest H2020 engagement (LungCARD, starting 2017), the institute focused on lung cancer and clinical diagnostics — specifically liquid biopsy for guiding therapy in NSCLC patients, where they contributed as a partner. By 2020, their focus shifted decisively toward pancreatic cancer and experimental pharmacology: they took on a coordinator role in REPANCAN, targeting a far more aggressive cancer type through drug repurposing and microenvironment analysis. The shift from diagnostic support in lung cancer to mechanistic drug research in pancreatic cancer suggests growing ambition and in-house experimental capacity, moving from clinical observation toward laboratory-driven hypothesis testing.

They are moving toward hard-to-treat gastrointestinal cancers and experimental pharmacology — a partner well-suited for future projects in precision oncology, cancer metabolism, or repurposing pipelines targeting PDAC or similarly intractable tumors.

How they like to work

They have worked in both roles: as a participant embedded in a larger MSCA-RISE network (LungCARD, 16 partners, 13 countries) and as the coordinating host institution in an MSCA Individual Fellowship (REPANCAN). The latter suggests they can attract and supervise individual research fellows, not just join consortia. Their network breadth — 13 countries from just 2 projects — indicates genuine openness to international partnership rather than reliance on a fixed regional circle.

Across two projects, the institute engaged 16 distinct consortium partners spanning 13 countries, suggesting strong integration into pan-European cancer research networks. The breadth is largely attributable to their participation in the LungCARD MSCA-RISE exchange network, which by design requires multi-country academic and non-academic partners.

What sets them apart

As Serbia's national oncology institute, they offer something few Eastern European partners can match: a combination of clinical patient access, established radiology and pathology infrastructure, and active translational research. Their non-EU location (Serbia) gives them eligibility for Widening participation incentives, which can be a strategic asset when building geographically diverse consortia. Within the Balkans region, they are likely the most credible partner for oncology-specific EU research projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REPANCAN
  As project coordinator, the institute led an MSCA Individual Fellowship targeting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma — one of the deadliest and most underfunded cancer types — using drug repurposing and ex vivo organ culture, a technically demanding and clinically relevant combination.
• LungCARD
  Entry point into H2020 as a clinical partner in a pan-European RISE network developing non-invasive blood tests for NSCLC therapy guidance, demonstrating early access to multi-country cancer diagnostics research.