For years, personalized medicine has been shaping the future of healthcare in some of the world’s leading research centers. Today, that future is no longer confined to global scientific hubs. It is also being built in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where FitGene is pioneering a new approach to preventive health by combining genetics, epigenetics and evidence-based lifestyle recommendations into one personalized platform.
Behind this innovation is Anela Zorlak Hujdurović, one of a new generation of Bosnian scientists transforming advanced research into practical solutions that can improve people’s lives. As the founder of FitGene, she is bridging the gap between cutting-edge science and everyday healthcare, demonstrating that innovation with global potential can emerge from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the interview for Sarajevo Times, Anela explains why our genes are not our destiny, how personalized health is changing the way we think about disease prevention, and why understanding our DNA may become one of the most valuable investments we can make in our long-term wellbeing.
Questions:
- Around the world, healthcare is gradually shifting from treating disease to preventing it. What is driving this transformation, and why do you believe it is one of the biggest changes in modern medicine?
This transformation is being driven by a simple but powerful realization: the earlier we understand an individual’s health risks, the greater our opportunity to act before disease develops. Advances in genetics, biomarker analysis, digital health technologies and artificial intelligence are giving us an increasingly precise picture of individual health, moving medicine beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.
For decades, healthcare systems have largely been designed to respond once symptoms appear or disease has already developed. Preventive and personalized medicine changes that logic. It allows us to identify individual predispositions, understand how genetics interacts with lifestyle and environmental factors, and translate that knowledge into earlier, more targeted interventions.
I believe this is one of the biggest changes in modern medicine because it fundamentally redefines the role of healthcare: from reacting to illness to actively preserving health. The real potential lies not only in helping people live longer, but in helping them live more years in good health. That shift has profound implications for individuals, healthcare systems and society as a whole.
- Many people are familiar with DNA testing through ancestry reports, but far fewer understand its role in everyday health. What can our genes actually tell us about the way we live, eat, exercise and age?
Our genes can tell us much more than where we come from. They can provide valuable insights into how our bodies process nutrients, respond to exercise, manage inflammation and metabolize certain substances, as well as reveal predispositions to specific health conditions.
But genetics is not destiny. Our health is shaped by the interaction between our genes, lifestyle and environment. Understanding our genetic predispositions allows us to make more informed and personalized decisions about nutrition, exercise and prevention.
The real value of genetic information is not in predicting the future with certainty, but in giving us the knowledge to make better decisions earlier and support healthier aging.
- This scientific knowledge led you to create FitGene. What inspired you to develop the platform, and what gap did you want to fill in preventive healthcare?
FitGene was born from my belief that the future of healthcare should not begin with disease, but with understanding the individual before disease develops. As a geneticist, I saw the extraordinary potential of genetic science, but also a significant gap between what science can reveal and what people can actually use in their everyday lives.
I wanted to bridge that gap and make precision health more accessible, actionable and truly personal. My vision for FitGene is to empower people with knowledge about their own biology, so they can make better decisions earlier and take a more active role in shaping their long-term health and healthy aging.
- How does FitGene transform complex genetic data into practical, personalized recommendations that people can actually use in their daily lives?
FitGene takes complex genetic data and turns it into clear, practical information people can actually understand and use. Instead of receiving a complicated report full of scientific terms, a person gets insights into how their body may respond to certain foods, exercise, stress and other lifestyle factors.
We then translate those insights into personalized recommendations that can support better everyday decisions and long-term health. The idea is simple: your genetic data should not just sit in a report, it should help you understand your body better and know what you can do today to protect your health in the future.
- Looking at the results you’ve seen so far, are there any findings that consistently surprise people once they receive their personalized FitGene report?
One case that stayed with me was a woman who had spent years trying different diets and blaming herself because she could not understand why certain approaches simply did not work for her. Her genetic report revealed specific predispositions related to how her body processes certain nutrients and regulates metabolism.
What surprised her most was finally having an explanation that was personal to her biology. That moment changed the way she approached her health — not through more restrictions or generic advice, but through a better understanding of her own body.
For me, that is the true power of genetic testing: not predicting someone’s future, but giving them knowledge they can use to make smarter, more personalized decisions about their health.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina is not typically associated with cutting-edge health innovation. What does it mean to you that a platform like FitGene has been developed here, and what ambitions do you have internationally?
For me, the fact that FitGene was developed in Bosnia and Herzegovina carries a powerful message: innovation does not depend on geography. Great ideas, scientific excellence and global ambition can come from anywhere.
But my vision for FitGene has never been limited by borders. We are building a platform with the ambition to become part of the global transformation of healthcare: from reactive medicine to prevention, from general recommendations to truly personalized health decisions.
I believe the next major revolution in healthcare will be driven by our ability to understand each person at an individual level, combining genetics, lifestyle and technology to help people live longer and healthier lives. My ambition is clear: I want FitGene to help shape that future globally, and to show that a company born in Bosnia and Herzegovina can build technology with worldwide relevance and impact.
- For someone reading this interview and wondering whether genetic testing is “for them,” what would you say? What can they realistically expect from the FitGene experience?
I would say, if you have ever wondered why something that works for someone else does not necessarily work for you, genetic testing can offer valuable answers.
With FitGene, you gain a deeper understanding of your own biology: how your body may respond to nutrition, exercise, stress and other lifestyle factors. You do not receive just data; you receive insights you can actually use. Because the better you understand your body today, the better decisions you can make for your health tomorrow.
