11th of October 2026
Ivana Vinković Vrček ranked among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists
The head of our research group, Prof. Dr. Ivana Vinković Vrček, has been included in this year’s Stanford/Elsevier list of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists, in the single-year (2025) category.
Released on 7 October 2026 by a Stanford University research team, the ranking covers approximately 250,000 researchers across all disciplines. It is based on Scopus citation data as of 1 August 2026, with scientists classified into 20 fields and 174 subfields according to the Science-Metrix scheme, using a composite indicator built from six standardised measures of scientific output and impact. The list includes 149 scientists based in Croatia.
Full data are available in the Elsevier Data Repository.
29th of June 2026
Papers by Our Scientists
New IMROH Research: Paper on the Effects of Nanoplastics and Pharmaceuticals Accepted in journal Environmental Science: Nano
The scientific paper “Plastic nanoparticles amplify endocrine activity of paracetamol and ibuprofen mixtures at environmentally relevant concentrations,” authored by researchers from the Institute and the partner institution Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) from Germany, has been published in the prestigious international journal Environmental Science: Nano.
The study investigated the effects of plastic nanoparticles in combination with paracetamol and ibuprofen—two widely used pharmaceuticals increasingly recognized as environmental contaminants. The results demonstrated that plastic nanoparticles can amplify the endocrine activity of these pharmaceuticals when present in mixtures, even though they do not exhibit the same effect individually.
This research further underscores the critical importance of studying the combined effects of different contaminants rather than focusing solely on individual substances. The findings represent a valuable contribution to understanding the risks associated with the simultaneous presence of nanoplastics and pharmaceuticals in the environment, as well as to developing more modern approaches for assessing their potential impact on health and the environment.
Link to the paper: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2026/en/d6en00308g
12th of June 2026
Papers of our scientists
Members of the research team led by Dr. Ivana Vinković Vrček, in collaboration with international partners, have published a new paper on the potential endocrine effects of nanoplastics in the journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology, titled “Surface-driven endocrine activity of nanoplastics: polymer- and size-dependent estrogen and androgen receptors modulation without steroidogenesis perturbation”.
The study shows that the effects of nanoplastic particles on estrogen and androgen receptors depend on the type of polymer, particle size, and their mixtures, opening new questions for the risk and safety assessment of nanoplastics exposure.
The results of this study shift the assessment of the endocrine effects of nanoplastics beyond the previously often-used polystyrene models and provide an important foundation for future exposure monitoring and risk assessment in real environmental conditions and consumer exposure.
The paper was supported by European and national projects, including PARC, PlasticsFate, as well as the infrastructure and development support of the Institute.
Link to the paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12989-026-00692-7