Meet the Team

Igor Balaž

Founder and CEO

Igor Balaž

Founder and CEO

Igor Balaz is Assistant Professor of Biophysics, Physics and Meteorology. He received MSc in biology and PhD in physics of complex systems at the University of Novi Sad.

He is currently working within the Serbian national research project on subtopic: "Modelling of biological systems”. His work is mainly focused on modeling spontaneous emergence of innovations in biological evolution.

On three occasions he was the visiting researcher at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kobe University, Japan where he worked on modeling adaptability of organization of living systems with prof. Yukio-Pegio Gunji.

He was also the visiting researcher at University of Rostock, Germany (the Systems Biology and Bioinformatics research group, Institute for Informatics) and at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany (Bio Systems Analysis Group, Institute of Computer Science).

He has over 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers in the international journals and chapters in research monographs.

Marija Bukurov Cvetković

Research Development & Communications Coordinator

Marija Bukurov Cvetković

Research Development & Communications Coordinator

Marija Bukurov is a biologist and science communication professional with extensive experience in life sciences, research dissemination, and innovation management.

From 2022 to 2026, she served as Impact Coordinator of the Horizon Europe BioMeld project, leading communication, dissemination, and stakeholder engagement activities. She also has a long-standing career as a scientific translator, editor, and content writer, collaborating with researchers and healthcare professionals across biology, medicine, psychology, and environmental sciences.

Marija is passionate about translating complex scientific concepts into clear and engaging narratives and is particularly interested in the application of artificial intelligence and computational biology to precision medicine.

Koushika R

Bioinformatics Specialist / Systems Biologist

Koushika R

Bioinformatics Specialist / Systems Biologist

Koushika R specialises in life sciences and immuno-oncology. With over 4 years of experience, she focuses on integrating and analysing clinical and multi-omics data, applying machine learning and biostatistics to uncover insights to support cancer treatment decisions.

Academically, Koushika holds a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology, complemented by a Post Graduate Diploma in Data Science in Health and Climate Change for Social Impact. Her technical expertise spans Python, R, scRNA-seq analysis, biomarker discovery, NGS pipelines, and bioinformatics data interpretation.

Throughout her career, she has worked across a broad spectrum of data science challenges in oncology. She has built predictive models using multi-hospital clinical data, performed TNBC subtype classification, analyzed RNA-seq and NanoString cohort data, developed Python-based assay automation tools, and conducted NGS analysis using GeoMx DSP tools and R-based pipelines. She has also applied machine learning algorithms to cohort classification, curated cancer-specific gene libraries, and independently developed reproducible scRNA-seq workflows that integrate tools such as Seurat, Scanpy, CellTypist, and DESeq2 for tumour microenvironment analysis.

A contributing author in Nature Communications, she has supported research on tumor-immune interactions in head and neck cancer. Driven by a deep commitment to improving cancer patient outcomes, Koushika brings scientific rigour, technical depth, and a passion for translating complex biological data into meaningful therapeutic insights.

Ana Firanj Sremac

Ana Firanj Sremac

Dr. Ana Firanj Sremac is a researcher specializing in multiphysics modeling and complex system simulations. Her expertise centers on developing and implementing advanced numerical models for coupled physical processes, with particular emphasis on environmental systems.

She has pioneered innovative approaches to computational modeling that integrate multiple physical domains and spatial scales, demonstrating the practical applications of digital twin concepts in environmental science.

Her work in high-resolution modeling has advanced understanding of complex physical interactions, while her background in meteorological analysis provides valuable context for environmental applications. Her expertise extends to digital twinning concepts in climate science, high-resolution environmental modeling, and FAIR data principles.

Marina Kovačević

Marina Kovačević

Marina is a scientist with a diverse educational background, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, a Master’s degree in Chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Physical/Theoretical Chemistry with a focus on multiscale modeling of biological systems.

With a portfolio spanning from the development of cancer digital twins to the creation of biohybrid robots, Marina has consistently sought out innovative projects that push the boundaries of scientific exploration.

She is committed to providing a platform for aspiring innovators to explore their passions, exchange ideas, and access the resources they need to turn their visions into reality.

Kevin D'Silva

External associate - Serendipity Collective Ventures

Kevin D'Silva

External associate - Serendipity Collective Ventures

Kev is the founder of Ideateplus and Nestlé’s employee-driven innovation program (InGenius).

Ten years as a serial intrapreneur within a complex corporate landscape resulted in insights that helped inspire others to kick-start or persevere in their enterprise innovation journey. His latest endeavor, Ideateplus provides a rapid innovation process that accelerates an organization’s ability to achieve customer-validated experiments, while developing the competence of their employees. Ideateplus provides tangible results to enterprise innovation while creating a functionally diverse and fun learning environment.

The Serendipity Collective™ is a platform to explore the potential for a future reimagined. We are not looking to solve the problems of today or tomorrow. Instead, we are building a platform that allows futuristic ideas, agnostic to an application, an opportunity to mature, envision, dream up, and not merely disrupt the status quo—but to transcend the limits of our imagination.

Meet the Team

Igor Balaž

Marija Bukurov Cvetković

Koushika R

Ana Firanj Sremac

Marina Kovačević

Kevin D'Silva

Transforming precision medicine through AI-powered computational biology

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