Stipan Jonjić

Stipan Jonjić is a Croatian immunologist and virologist renowned for his pioneering contributions to viral immunology and pathogenesis, particularly in the field of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. His research has focused on the mechanisms by which immune cells - especially T cells and natural killer (NK) cells - control primary and latent CMV infection, using mouse CMV cytomegalovirus as a model system.

A central theme of Jonjić’s work is the characterization of viral immunoevasion strategies and their impact on shaping host immune responses. He has made major contributions to understanding how NK cells recognize virus-infected cells and how CMV circumvents this detection, including through interference with the `missing-self` activation pathway.

In 2012, Jonjić became the first Croatian scientist to receive a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant. He has also been awarded a US NIH R01 grant and collaborative grants supported by the German Science Foundation. In addition, he serves as the coordinator of the Scientific Center of Excellence for Viral Immunology and Vaccines, which brings together multiple leading research groups in Croatia. Jonjić is a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), and the European Academy of Microbiology.