Jelena Milovanović, PhD, is an Associate Research Professor at the IMGGE, within the Group for Eco-biotechnology and Drug Development, where she has been employed since 2013. She graduated and obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, where she defended her doctoral dissertation on the application of poly(hydroxyalkanoate) monomers in the synthesis of biologically active compounds.

Her scientific work focuses on the application of enzymes in biocatalytic processes and polymer degradation, as well as on identifying microorganisms with potential for plastic biodegradation, alongside the development and functionalization of biopolymers. She is engaged in the design of novel materials with specific functional properties through the integration of biopolymers, enzymes, and nanomaterials, as well as in the study of bioactive compounds obtained by microbial fermentation, aiming at the development of sustainable biotechnological solutions.

Dr Milovanović is the author and co-author of numerous scientific articles in international journals and has participated in many national and international projects. She is currently the principal investigator of the bilateral Serbia–Turkey project PHOBioDepolyIMPROVE, dedicated to improving enzymes for bioplastic degradation to enable their more efficient industrial application.

She has been a member of the IMGGE Technology Transfer Sector since its establishment and actively participates in innovation projects, fostering collaboration between science and industry.

She is actively engaged in science popularization and has long been a member of the Serbian Chemical Society, the Serbian Society for Microbiology, as well as international organisations such as the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) and the European Society for Applied Biocatalysis (ESAB).