Dr Dzenita Muratovic
Grant-Funded Researcher (A)
School of Medicine
College of Health
Dr. Dzenita Muratovic is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Orthopaedic and Trauma Research (CORT), Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. In 2018 Dr. Muratovic was awarded her Ph.D. at The University of Adelaide with Dean’s commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence. In her PhD project, she pioneered a multi-modal approach to investigate the tissue changes in the subchondral bone in human osteoarthritis (OA), specifically bone marrow lesions (BML). This research led her to become intrigued by the role of subchondral bone in the development and progression of OA and to further explore combinations of underlying factors (molecular, cellular, biomechanics, systemic) that potentially may lead to a different degree of degeneration of osteochondral unit and subsequently to the progression of osteoarthritis. Dr. Muratovic subsequently undertook postdoctoral research training. Here, Dr. Muratovic investigated active TGFβ1 as a critical factor associated with degenerative changes of osteochondral tissue in human osteoarthritis. In return, this work opened up an entirely new therapeutic paradigm, namely that targeting subchondral bone as a novel OA treatment strategy. In recognition of her research excellence and commitment to translating research findings into improved clinical outcomes, Dr Muratovic was awarded the Arthritis Australia 2021 Fellowship to explore bone tissue further as a specific target for osteoarthritis management. Also, Dr Muratovic was a successful grant awardee for a Project Grant by Arthritis Australia, Bone Health Foundation, Swiss Light Source (SLS) and the Paul Scherrer Institute and ISAP (International Synchrotron Access Program) project grant. Her research work has been published in high-quality and high-impact factor journals, with several more manuscripts being submitted for publication. Dr Muratovic's work has been exceptionally well received by her peers, as shown by more than 20 awards she has won when presenting at national and international scientific meetings. Dr Muratovic's future research interests are to use her expertise to investigate further pathomechanism that potentially leads to the progression of osteoarthritis. Dr Muratovic's ultimate research aim is to change the lives of those suffering from Osteoarthritis.In addition, prior to and during academic research engagement (since 2004), Dr Muratovic has been employed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Anatomical Pathology and Histopathology Laboratory/Mortuary and SA Tissue Bank, Adelaide, Australia. Dr Muratovic is technically accomplished across numerous complex analyses of human tissue histopathology and histomorphometry, immunocytochemistry and gene expression, Dr Muratovic’s specialist knowledge of translational human pathology and osteoarthritis research and unique skill set are essential to lead, guide and support the diverse and demanding research projects and studies.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 - ongoing | Postdoctoral Researcher | University of Adelaide |
| 2021 - 2022 | Arthritis Australia Fellow | University of Adelaide |
| 2018 - 2021 | Postdoctoral Researcher | University of Adelaide, Adelaide |
| 2004 - ongoing | Medical Scientist | SA Pathology |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Fellowship | Arthritis Australia Fellowship | Arthritis Australia | Australia | - |
| 2021 | Achievement | New Investigator Recognition Award (NIRA) finalist | Orthopaedic Research Society 2021 Annual Meeting. | United States | - |
| 2021 | Award | 2021 ECTS New Investigator Award | European Calcified Tissue Society | Belgium | - |
| 2021 | Award | The Best Basic Science Poster for 2021 | Australian Rheumatology Association | Australia | - |
| 2021 | Achievement | Early Career Researcher award (Finalist) | Australian & New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS) | Australia | - |
| 2020 | Award | The Best Bone Biology Image | International Society of Bone Morphometry | Belgium | - |
| 2020 | Award | Emerging Scientist Showcase Award | Bone Health Foundation | Australia | - |
| 2020 | Achievement | Best Guest Nation Poster | Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) | United States | - |
| 2019 | Award | Finalist, Orthopaedic Innovation Award category, 25nd Annual Australian & New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS) Conference, Canberra, Australia, October 04-06, 2019 | Australian & New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS) | Australia | - |
| 2019 | Achievement | Finalist in the Early Career Researcher award category, 25nd Annual Australian & New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS) Conference, Canberra, Australia, October 04-06, 2019 | Australian & New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS) | Australia | - |
| 2019 | Award | IFMRS Travel Grant | International Federation of Musculoskeletal Research Societies (IFMRS) | United Kingdom | $500 |
| 2019 | Award | The ANZBMS International Travel Award | ANZBMS | Australia | 1000$ |
| 2019 | Research Award | The ISAP Research Travel Grant | Australian Synchrotron | Australia | 3300 |
| 2018 | Distinction | Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2016 | Achievement | • Travel grant to attend 22nd Annual ANZORS Conference, Melbourne | ANZORS | Australia | 400$ |
| 2016 | Award | Young investigator award at 9th International Workshop on Osteoarthritis Imaging, Oulu, Finland, 2016 | International Workshop on Osteoarthritis Imaging, Oulu, Finland | Finland | 300 € |
| 2016 | Nomination | Ross Wishart Memorial Award 2016 | ASMR | Australia | - |
| 2016 | Award | Young Investigator Award at AAOS/ORS Research Symposium | AAOS/ORS | United States | - |
| 2016 | Award | School of Medicine Travel Award | University of Adelaide | Australia | 2500 |
| 2016 | Award | New Investigator Travel Award | AAOS/ORS | United States | 3000 |
| 2015 | Award | Christopher & Margie Nordin Young Investigator Poster Award | ANZBMS | Australia | 500 $ |
| 2015 | Award | Best Clinical Science Free Paper for 2015 | The Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA) | Australia | 3000$ |
| 2015 | Award | ANZBMS Travel Award | ANZBMS | Australia | 300 |
| 2014 | Award | School of Medicine Prize | University of Adelaide | Australia | 200 |
| 2014 | Award | Florey Medical Research Foundation Prize | The University of Adelaide | Australia | 700$ |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| Bosnian | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 - 2018 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Doctor of Philosophy |
| 2009 - 2012 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor Degree in Health Science (First Class Honours) |
| 2001 - 2004 | University of Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bachelor Degree in Medical Laboratory |
| Date | Title | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 - 2018 | PhD Candidate | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Kuliwaba, J. S., Lee, Y. -R., Muratovic, D., Gill, T. K., & Findlay, D. M. (2019). BIOCHEMICAL PROFILING OF BONE MARROW LESIONS IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PATIENTS: ALTERED MINERALIZATION OF THE SUBCHONDRAL BONE MATRIX. In OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE Vol. 27 (pp. S111). Toronto, CANADA: ELSEVIER SCI LTD. DOI WoS1 |
| 2018 | Kuliwaba, J., Lee, Y. -R., Muratovic, D., & Findlay, D. (2018). RAMAN SPECTRAL IMAGING OF BONE MARROW LESIONS IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: ALTERED BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE SUBCHONDRAL BONE MATRIX. In INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL Vol. 48 (pp. 8). WILEY. |
| 2018 | Kuliwaba, J., Lee, Y. -R., Muratovic, D., & Findlay, D. (2018). Biochemical Profiling of MRI-detected Bone Marrow Lesions in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients: Altered Mineralization of the Subchondral Bone Matrix. In JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH Vol. 33 (pp. 247). Montreal, CANADA: WILEY. |
| 2015 | Muratovic, D., Cicuttini, F. M., Wluka, A., Wang, Y., Findlay, D. M., Otto, S., . . . Kuliwaba, J. S. (2015). BONE MARROW LESIONS DETECTED BY DIFFERENT MAGNETIC RESONANCE SEQUENCES AS POTENTIAL BIOMARKERS FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: COMPREHENSIVE TISSUE LEVEL ANALYSIS. In OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE Vol. 23 (pp. A303-A305). Seattle, WA: ELSEVIER SCI LTD. DOI WoS1 |
| 2015 | Muratovic, D., Cicuttini, F. M., Wluka, A., Wang, Y., Findlay, D., Otto, S., . . . Kuliwaba, J. (2015). BONE MARROW LESIONS DETECTED BY TWO MRI SEQUENCES ASSOCIATE WITH SEVERITY OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. In INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL Vol. 45 (pp. 6). WILEY-BLACKWELL. |
| 2015 | Muratovic, D., Wluka, A., Cicuttini, F. M., Wang, Y., Findlay, D., Otto, S., . . . Lee, Y. (2015). KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: METABOLIC SYNDROME IN PATIENTS WITH TIBIAL BONE MARROW LESIONS. In INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL Vol. 45 (pp. 17). WILEY-BLACKWELL. |
| 2014 | Kuliwaba, J., Lee, Y., Naas, S., Muratovic, D., Humphries, J., & Findlay, D. (2014). THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF SUBCHONDRAL BONE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: MICRODAMAGE ACCUMULATION, OSTEOCYTE CELL DEFICIENCY AND BONE MARROW HYPERVASCULARITY. In INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL Vol. 44 (pp. 1). WILEY-BLACKWELL. DOI |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Muratovic, D., Quarrington, R., Mulaibrahimovic, A., & Jones, C. (2022). Bone marrow lesions and cysts in the cervical facets. Poster session presented at the meeting of 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting, Spine Society of Australia, 2022. Darwin. |
| 2021 | Muratovic, D., Findlay, D. M., Masri, H. H., Stapledon, C. J., Lee, Y., Cao, X., . . . Kuliwaba, J. S. (2021). ELEVATED LEVELS OF ACTIVE TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR beta 1 IN THE SUBCHONDRAL BONE RELATE SPATIALLY TO IMPAIRED BONE QUALITY AND CARTILAGE LOSS IN HUMAN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. Poster session presented at the meeting of OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE. ELSEVIER SCI LTD. DOI |
| 2021 | Lee, Y. R. O., Briggs, M., Kuliwaba, J., Hoffmann, P., Muratovic, D., & Anderson, P. (2021). MASS SPECTROMETRY TISSUE IMAGING IDENTIFIES COMPLEX/HYBRID-TYPE N-GLYCANS AS PUTATIVE NOVEL CARTILAGE DEGRADATION MARKERS FOR HUMAN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL. WILEY. |
| 2021 | Muratovic, D., Findlay, D., Lee, R. Y., Quarrington, R., & Kuliwaba, J. (2021). ELEVATED LEVELS OF ACTIVE TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR B1 IN THE SUBCHONDRAL BONE RELATE SPATIALLY TO THE SEVERITY OF HUMAN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL. WILEY. |
| 2014 | Kuliwaba, J. S., Lee, Y. -R., Naas, S., Muratovic, D., Humphries, J. M., & Findlay, D. M. (2014). THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF SUBCHONDRAL CANCELLOUS BONE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: DIFFUSE MICRODAMAGE ACCUMULATION, OSTEOCYTE CELL DEFICIENCY AND BONE MARROW HYPERVASCULARITY. Poster session presented at the meeting of OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE. Paris, FRANCE: ELSEVIER SCI LTD. DOI |
| 2014 | Muratovic, D., Cicuttini, F. M., Wluka, A., Wang, Y., Findlay, D., Otto, S., . . . Kuliwaba, J. (2014). BONE MARROW LESIONS IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL. WILEY-BLACKWELL. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Sun, Q., Huynh, K., Muratovic, D., Gunn, N. J., Zelmer, A. R., Solomon, L. B., . . . Yang, D. (2024). Beyond the Colony-Forming-Unit: Rapid Bacterial Evaluation in Osteomyelitis. DOI Scopus1 Europe PMC4 |
| 2024 | Sun, Q., Huynh, K., Muratovic, D., Gunn, N. J., Zelmer, A. R., Solomon, L. B., . . . Yang, D. (2024). Beyond the Colony-Forming-Unit: Rapid Bacterial Evaluation in Osteomyelitis. DOI |
| 2024 | Sun, Q., Huynh, K., Muratovic, D., Gunn, N. J., Zelmer, A. R., Solomon, L. B., . . . Yang, D. (2024). Beyond the Colony-Forming-Unit: Rapid Bacterial Evaluation in Osteomyelitis. DOI |
| 2023 | Sun, Q., Huynh, K., Muratovic, D., Gunn, N., Zelmer, A., Solomon, B., . . . Yang, D. (2023). Beyond the Colony-Forming-Unit: Rapid Bacterial Evaluation in Osteomyelitis. DOI |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Utility of nucleic acid sequencing for improving diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Kimberley Huynh |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Pathologic bone matrix destruction: help or hindrance for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic osteomyelitis and osteosarcoma? | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Qi Sun |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 - 2021 | Principal Supervisor | Compromised Osteocyte Metabolic and Functional State: A Key Contributor to the Pathogenesis of Human Hip Osteoarthritis | The University of Adelaide | - | Honours | Full Time | Micaela Jocelyn Quinn |
| 2019 - ongoing | Co-Supervisor | TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR (TGF)-β AS A CRITICAL FACTOR IN HUMAN OSTEOARTHRITIS | The University of Adelaide, CORT | Medicine | Honours | Full Time | Halimatul Masrini Binti Haji Masri |
| 2019 - ongoing | Co-Supervisor | Bone Marrow Lesions and Subchondral Cysts in Association with Severity of Structural Degeneration in Hip Osteoarthritis | The University of Adelaide, CORT | - | Honours | Part Time | Bright Nkrumah |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - ongoing | Member | International Society of Bone Morphometry (ISBM) | Belgium |
| 2020 - ongoing | Member | European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS) | Belgium |
| 2018 - ongoing | Member | Orthopaedic Research Society | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of |
| 2018 - ongoing | Member | International Federation of Musculoskeletal Research Societies (IFMRS) | Belgium |
| 2015 - ongoing | - | ANZBMS | Australia |
| 2015 - ongoing | - | ASMR | Australia |
| 2014 - ongoing | Member | Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) | United States |
| 2013 - ongoing | Member | Australian & New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society (ANZORS) | Australia |