Prof.
Marija Vukoja, MD, PhD
SpecializationInternal Medicine
SubpecializationPulmonology
Head of the Unit of Pathophysiology of Breathing
Phone021/4805200
Prof. Dr. Marija Vukoja graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Novi Sad with an average grade of 9.72 and a grade of 10 on her final exam. Since 2004, she has been employed at the Institute for Lung Diseases of Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica, where she continuously develops her clinical, research, and academic career in the field of pulmonology and sleep medicine. She has been a specialist in internal medicine since 2012 and a subspecialist in pulmonology since 2016.
During 2008–2009, she underwent professional training at the Mayo Clinic, where she completed a program in clinical and translational research. She also completed a medical education program at Harvard Medical School (T2T-M, 2023), and since 2025, she has been certified by the European Sleep Research Society as an expert in sleep medicine.
Since 2023, she has been an associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Novi Sad.
Professional expertise/field
COPD; OSA; functional diagnostics, asthma
Teaching engagement
Medical Faculty University of Novi Sad
Internal Medicine
| Field | Year of completion | Degree | Faculty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subspecialty | Pulmonology | 2016 | Pulmonologist | Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad |
| Specialization | Internal Medicine | 2012 | Internist | Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad |
| Faculty | Medicine | 2003 | Doctor of Medicine | Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad |
| Doctorate | Internal Medicine-Pulmonology | 2014 | Doctor of Medical Sciences | Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad |
| Training name | Field | Year | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science | 2009 | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine | |
| Research Fellowship | 2009 | Mayo Clinic Rochester, USA | |
| Train to Teach in Medicine Program | 2023 | Harvard Medical School | |
| European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) certified Somnologist–Expert in Sleep Medicine. | 2025 | European Sleep Research Society |
| Year | Title | Publisher | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Award for Outstanding Achievements in Research Work | Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad | Novi Sad |
| 2021 | Award for Outstanding Results Achieved in Scientific Research | Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad | Novi Sad |
| 2021 | International Medis Awards Winner | Medis | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| 2019 | Star Research Award | Society of Critical Care Medicine | San Diego, USA |
| 2013 | International Travel Award | American Thoracic Society | Philadelphia, USA |
| Period | Title | Project role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-in progress | Phase III Study of COPD | Principal Investigator |
| 2025-in progress | MULTIPLUM HORIZON | Researcher |
| 2013-2021 | CERTAIN (Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury)https://www.icertain.org/ | Principal Investigator |
ERS – European Respiratory Society
RUS – Respiratory Association of Serbia
AASM – American Academy of Sleep Medicine
ESRS – European Sleep Research Society
1. Vukoja M. Who gets in? Rethinking clinical trial access in the era of race-neutral pulmonary function. Thorax. 2025 Oct 15;80(11):786-787. doi: 10.1136/thorax-2025-223694. PMID: 40992938.
2. Vukoja M, Tekin A, Parada NA, Gray JC, Mallouhi A, Roddy T et al. The Association of Asthma and Metabolic Dysfunction With Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2024 Sep;12(9):2390-2398.e7.
3. Nemet M, Vukoja M. Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: A Narrative Literature Review. Antibiotics (Basel). 2024 Jun 6;13(6):532.
4. Vukoja M, Dragisic D, Vujasinovic G, Djekic Malbasa J, Andrijevic I, Stojanovic G, Kopitovic I. The Prevalence of Emphysema in Patients Undergoing Lung Cancer Screening in a Middle-Income Country. Diseases. 2025 May 9;13(5):146.
5. Nemet M, Gmehlin CG, Vukoja M, Dong Y, Gajic O, Tekin A; Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury (CERTAIN) Study Investigators. Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Low- and Middle-Income vs High-Income Countries: The Role of Ventilator Bundle, Ventilation Practices, and Health Care Staffing. Chest. 2025 Jun;167(6):1628-1638.
6. Vukoja M, Kopitovic I, Lazic Z, Milenkovic B, Stankovic I, Tomic-Spiric V, Zvezdin B, Hromis S, Cekerevac I, Ilic A, Vukcevic M, Dimic-Janjic S, Stjepanovic M. Diagnosis and treatment of adult asthma patients in Serbia: a 2022 experts group position statement. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2022 Nov-Dec;16(11-12):1133-1144.
7. Valipour A, Aisanov Z, Avdeev S, Koblizek V, Kocan I, Kopitovic I, Lupkovics G, Man M, Bukovskis M, Tudoric N, Vukoja M, Naumnik W, Yanev N. Recommendations for COPD management in Central and Eastern Europe. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2022 Feb;16(2):221-234.
8. Vukoja M, Dong Y, Adhikari NKJ, Schultz MJ, Arabi YM, Martin-Loeches I, Hache M, Gavrilovic S, Kashyap R, Gajic O; Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury (CERTAIN) Investigators of the SCCM Discovery Network. Checklist for Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Illness and Injury: An Exploratory Multicenter International Quality-Improvement Study in the ICUs With Variable Resources. Crit Care Med. 2021 Jun 1;49(6):e598-e612.
9. Djekic Malbasa J, Kovacevic T, Vukoja M, Bursać D, Bokan D, Stojšić V, Zaric B. Nodule Characteristics, Clinical Risk Factors, and Radiologist Experience as Predictors of Positive Baseline LDCT Screening Results. Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Oct 29;13(21):2734.
10. Dimic-Janjic, S.; Buha, I.; Cvejic, J.; Kostadinovic, N.; Stamenic, S.; Postic, A.; Ratkovic, A.; Stosic-Markovic, K.; Sekulovic-Radovanovic, I.; Vukoja, M.; et al. Early Functional Impairment in Smokers with CT-Detected Emphysema: Spirometry Provides Complementary Physiological Information in Lung Cancer Screening. Biomedicines 2026, 14, 847.
| Year | Title | Location | Role | Lecture/session title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Golnik Symposium | Bled | Invited Speaker | How does oscillometry help us in the diagnosis of obstructive diseases? |
| 2025 | Thoracic Congress of the Croatian Thoracic Society | Zagreb | Invited Speaker | Obstructive lung diseases and OSA |
| 2025 | Fourth Symposium on Sleep Apnea | Ljubljana | Invited Speaker | OSA in women |
| 2024 | Third Symposium on Sleep Apnea | Ljubljana | Invited Speaker | OSA in Serbia |
| 2025 | 8th Congress of Respiratory Medicine of Serbia with International Participation | Belgrade | Invited Speaker/Chair | Respiratory disorders during sleep: From diagnosis to therapy – integrated approach in the diagnosis and monitoring of lung diseases COPD |
| 2025 | Respiupdate Serbia – Bridges in Pulmonology | Kopaonik | Invited Speaker | Pitfalls in diagnosing COPD |
| 2025 | V Regional Respiratory Congress with International Participation | Budva | Invited Speaker/Chair | Types of inhalation devices and how to choose the right inhaler? |
| 2025 | XXIV Congress of the Association of Internists of Serbia | Vrnjačka Banja | Invited Speaker | OSA and arterial hypertension |
| 2024 | Second Congress of Palliative Medicine of Serbia | Novi Sad | Chair | The role of palliative care in COPD |
| 2024 | Second Congress of Bronchologists of Serbia | Belgrade | Invited Speaker | Dual bronchodilation vs. triple therapy in COPD |
| 2024 | Belgrade Pulmonary Days | Belgrade | Invited Speaker | Local characteristics in the treatment and diagnosis of COPD and Serbian guidelines |
| 2024 | Respiupdate | Kopaonik | Invited Speaker | COPD and cardiovascular diseases |
| 2023 | 7th Congress of Respiratory Medicine of Serbia with International Participation | Vrnjačka Banja | Invited Speaker | Impulse oscillometry |
| 2023 | CPT in Myocardial Diseases: A Joint Hands-On Symposium of ESC WG for Myocardial Diseases and Medical Faculty University of Belgrade | Belgrade | Invited Speaker | CPT in evaluation of unknown dyspnea |
The professional activity of Prof. Dr. M. Vukoja encompasses clinical work, academic engagement, and scientific research, with a particular focus on functional diagnostics, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and asthma. He is the author of more than 50 scientific papers published in international journals, including leading journals such as CHEST and The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. He is a guest editor for the journal Antibiotics, as well as a reviewer for leading international journals and professional congresses. He is the Vice President of the Respiratory Association of Serbia and a member of the ERS Spirometry Interpretation Working Group at the European Respiratory Society. He actively participates as an invited speaker at national and international professional meetings. He is the principal investigator and researcher in phase III clinical studies. He has received numerous national and international awards, including two awards from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Novi Sad for excellence in scientific research, the Star Research Award, and the International Medis Award. As an author, he has participated in working groups for the development of national guidelines for good clinical practice: Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma and Application of Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in Acute Conditions and Long-Term in Home Settings.