About Ilija Brizić

Ilija Brizić, PhD

Associate Professor
Head of the Center for Proteomics

ilija.brizic@medri.uniri.hr

Prof. Ilija Brizić is currently serving as Head of the Center for Proteomics and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka. He holds a double Master’s degree in Molecular Biotechnology and Bioindustrial Technology from the University of Zagreb and the University of Orléans (2010), and earned his PhD in Immunology from the University of Rijeka in 2016.

His research training includes 15 months at the Max von Pettenkofer-Institute in Munich and a three-month fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. With over 15 years of experience in virus-host interactions, Prof. Brizić conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of virology, immunology, and neuroscience, with a particular focus on cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and the role of microglia, natural killer (NK) and T cells in antiviral defense and pathogenesis of infection.

He has authored 50 peer-reviewed publications, led multiple national and international research grants, and teaches several core courses in Medicine and Pharmacy. His scientific excellence has been recognized with numerous awards, including Croatia’s highest National Award for Science—first in 2018 for young scientists, and again in 2023 with the annual award.

Selected Publications:

    1. Krstanović F, Mihalić A, Rashidi AS, Sitnik KM, Ruzsics Z, Čičin-Šain L, Verjans GMGM, Jonjić S, Brizić I. Neuron-restricted cytomegalovirus latency in the central nervous system regulated by CD4+ T-cells and IFN-γ. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2025.
    2. Mihalić A, Železnjak J, Lisnić B, Jonjić S, Juranić Lisnić V, Brizić I. Immune surveillance of cytomegalovirus in tissues. Cellular & Molecular Immunology. 2024.
    3. Rožmanić C, Lisnić B, Pribanić Matešić M, Mihalić A, Hiršl L, Park E, Lesac Brizić A, Indenbirken D, Viduka I, Šantić M, Adler B, Yokoyama WM, Krmpotić A, Juranić Lisnić V, Jonjić S, Brizić I. Perinatal murine cytomegalovirus infection reshapes the transcriptional profile and functionality of NK cells. Nature Communications. 2023.
    4. Brizić I, Sušak B, Arapović M, Huszthy PC, et al. Brain-resident memory CD8+ T cells induced by congenital CMV infection prevent brain pathology and virus reactivation. European Journal of Immunology. 2018.
    5. Wagner FM*, Brizic I*, Prager A, Trsan T, Arapovic M, et al. The Viral Chemokine MCK-2 of Murine Cytomegalovirus Promotes Infection as Part of agH/gL/MCK-2 Complex. PLoS Pathogens. 2013.

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