Marko Jeran

Marko Jeran is a Slovenian researcher and science educator at the Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Technology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
He developed environmentally friendly halogenation methods and contributed to the development of gametocides and pharmaceutical compounds. Later, he focused on Ru-catalyzed asymmetric ketone reductions to enantiomerically pure secondary alcohols with biological activity and pharmaceutical synthesis. In addition, he founded an interdisciplinary platform for the development of fluorescent molecules for cancer diagnostics, which is still active today. He later focused on extracellular vesicles from body fluids and natural sources, combining clinical and preclinical studies.

His current research work generally includes: (a) synthesis and characterization of new coordination compounds, (b) technological research for sustainable development, (c) development of new fluorescent probes for labelling in medicine and integration of advanced methods in oncology, (d) “green” and sustainable production of biologically active organic molecules and cellular particles from natural sources and (e) transfer of scientific knowledge into educational practice (strong link between science and the entire vertical educational level). Since 2010, Marko Jeran has supervised more than 90 research projects for young people, whose work has been honored with national and international awards. Since 2015, his high school students have won more than 30 awards and prizes from pharmaceutical companies. He is an author in the fields of applied chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biophysics, and science education, and has contributed to conferences and published conference proceedings and didactic materials.
Marko Jeran has received several awards for his contributions to research and science communication and for his interdisciplinary work combining science and education.

In 2025, his achievements were recognised by the international pharmaceutical company Krka JSC, which awarded him for his long-term mentoring of young researchers. His mentoring reflects the values promoted by Krka: creativity, knowledge, cooperation, and responsibility for the future. He has also been acknowledged as a link between the academic community and the education sector.