Academy Members

• 1986 Secondary School in Mathematics and Informatics, Zagreb , Croatia
• 1992 Medical School , University of Zagreb , Croatia
• 1993 Differential exam, Medical Faculty, University of Bologna , Italy (Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia Italiana)
• 1993 Postgraduate Study in Biology-biomedicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 1995 Master of Science Degree, University of Zagreb , Croatia
• 1997/98Postgraduate Study in Ophthalmology, Massachusets Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• 1999 Postgraduate Study in Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 1999 PhD Degree on Corneal transplantation, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 2003 Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Rijeka , Croatia
• 2009 Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Rijeka, Croatia

Postdoctoral Training

Internship and Residency

• 1991 Intern in Medicine, University Hospital Sabadell , Barcelona, Spain
• 1992-1993 Intern in Medicine, University Hospital “Dr. F. Mihaljevic”, Zagreb
• 1995-1999 Resident in Ophthalmology, General Hospital Holy Spirit, Zagreb , Croatia

Clinical and Research Fellowships

• 1991-1992Research Fellow, Department of Immunology, “Institute Pasteur”, Paris, France
• 1992Research Fellow, Eykman-Winkler Institute for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Inflammation & Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Utrecht , the Netherlands
• 1993-1995 Research Fellow, Department of Ophthalmology, Lions Croatian Eye Bank, Zagreb , Croatia
• 1997-1998 Research Fellow, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston , MA , USA
• 1999-2001Cornea Fellow, Dept. of Ophthalmology, GH “Sveti Duh”, Zagreb, Croatia

Licensure and Certification

• 1992  Croatian medical license
• 1993 Italian medical license (Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia Italiana)
• 1994 Eye Banking Licence, (“Universitats-Krankenhaus Eppendorf”), Eye Clinic , Hamburg , Germany

Academic Appointments

• 1993-1995 Research Assistant, Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 1995-2001Instructor, Immunology in Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 1995-2001Instructor, Ultrasound in Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 2001, 2002Instructor, Donor tissue support and preservation, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 2004- Instructor, Infections of biomaterials in ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• 2005-Surgeon-instructor, “Live-surgery”, Medical School, University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 2006- Surgeon-instructor, General Hospital Dubrovnik, Croatia

Hospital Appointments

• 1993-95 Research fellow, Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Holy Spirit, Zagreb, Croatia
• 1995-    Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Holy Spirit, Zagreb , Croatia
• 1997/98 Research Fellow, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Brigham and Women Hospital, Boston, MA
• 1999-2001Ophthalmologist, Active staff, Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Holy Spirit, Zagreb , Croatia
• 2002-2007 Head, University Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Holy Spirit, Zagreb , Croatia
• 2007.-   Ophthalmologist, Eye Clinic “Svjetlost”, Zagreb , Croatia
• 2009-    Medical Director, Eye Clinic Svjetlost, Zagreb, Croatia

Surgical Work

Anterior Segment Procedures: over. 1000 surgeries per year as follows: 800 PHACO cases, 100 corneal transplantations and other:  refractive surgery, amniotic membrane transplantations, stem-cell transplantations, anti-glaucoma surgeries …

Other Professional Positions and Major Visiting Appointments

• 1996 Visiting Fellow, Cornea Bank, University Eye Clinic , Hamburg , Germany
• 1997 Visiting Fellow, University Eye Clinic, Munich , Germany
• 1997/98 Visiting Fellow, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Brigham and Women Hospital, Boston, MA
• 1998 Visiting Fellow, University Eye Clinic, Wienna , Austria
• 1999Visiting Fellow, John Hopkins University , Baltimore , USA

Awards and Honors

• 1995 Societa Ophthalmologica Europea Grant for manuscript: “Cytokines in Aqueous Humour of Inflamed and Non-inflamed Eye”, Milan , Italy
• 1997 Societa Ophthalmologica Europea Grant for manuscript: “Cytokines in Aqueous Humour of Patients with Different Corneal Diseases”, Budapest , Hungary
• 1999 American Eye Bank Association Travel Grant Awardee for paper: “Topical Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor I (sTNFRI) Promotes the Survival and Decreases Vascularization of Minor Alloantigen-Disparate Corneal Transplants”
• 2000 Croatian State Annual Award for Young Scientists
• 2003 Croatian Ministry of Health: Award for the Achievements in the Field of Ophthalmology
• 2005 Southeastern European Society of cataract & Refractive Surgery: Certificate of Appreciation for Distinguished Services to Ophthalmology and Prevention of Blindness Major Committee Assignment:
• 1993 Member: Organizing Committee, Conference – “Selected chapters from pediatric ophthalmology”, Zagreb , Croatia
• 1993 Secretary: Organizing Committee, First Croatian International Meeting “Corneal Diseases, Keratoplasty and Corneal Tissue Storage Methods”, Umag , Croatia
• 1997 Secretary: Organizing Committee, International Summer School “Corneal Transplantation, Eye Banking and Corneal Diseases”, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 1999 Secretary: Organizing Committee, 11th Congress of European Eye Bank Association, Zagreb , Croatia
• 2005 Secretary, First International Ophthalmological School, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2005 Member, Organizing Committee, “Live-surgery”, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2006 Member, Organizing Committee, Second International Ophthalmological School, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2007 Vice-president, Organizing Committee, Third International Ophthalmological School, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2008  Vice-president, Organizing Committee, 4th International Ophthalmological School, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2009 Vice-president, Organizing Committee, Dubrovnik Ophthalmology Academy, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2010 Vice-president, Organizing Committee, Svjetlost Ophthalmology Academy,  Zagreb,, Croatia

Memberships, Offices and Committee Assignments in Professional Societies

• 1992- Croatian Medical Association
• 1994- Croatian Ophthalmological Society
• 1995- European Eye Bank Association
• 1998- World Association of Croatian Physicians
• 1999- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
• 2000- European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery
• 2001- Croatian Immunological Society
• 2002- International Ocular Surface Society
• 2002- Vice-president, Croatian Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery
• 2007- Vice-president, European Eye Bank Association
• 2010-2013 President, European Eye Bank Association

Major Research Interests

•    Mechanisms of corneal graft recognition and rejection.
•    Local cytokine production following corneal allotransplantation.
•    Cytokine regulation of corneal Langerhans cell migration.
•    Prevention and treatment of corneal allograft rejection by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines.
•    Cytokine profile in aqueous humour of patients with different corneal diseases.
•    Cytokine expression in diseased human corneal tissue

Research Funding Information

Past

• 1993-1995 Research Grant from the Croatian Ministry of Science,
• Project: “Corneal transplantation in rabbits – eye banking”
• 1995-1997 Research Grant from the Croatian Ministry of Science,
• Project: “Corneal transplantation – eye bank”
• 1996Grant from International Federation of Eye Banks , USA
  Project: “Funding of Lions Croatian Eye Bank”
• 1997-1998Balokovic Scholarship, Harvard Medical School
  Project: “Role of TNF-alpha in corneal allograft rejection”
• 1998 -2001Research Grant from the Croatian Ministry of Science,
  Project: “Corneal transplantation – eye bank”
• 2002-2006 Primary Investigator, Research Grant from the Croatian Ministry of Science:
  “Immunology of the Eye”
• 2002-2006Researcher, Research Grant from the Croatian Ministry of Science: “Formation of Eye Bank Network in Croatia ”
• 2002-2006Primary Investigator, Technological Grant from the Croatian Ministry of Science: “Amniotic Membrane Transplantation and Synthesis of the Limbal Stem Cell Grafts”

Present

• 2007 – Primary Investigator, Research Grant from the Croatian Ministry of Science: “Immunology of the Eye”

Principle Clinical and Hospital Service Responsibilities

• 1995. – 2007. Medical Director, Lions Croatian Eye Bank, Zagreb , Croatia
• 2002. – 2007. Head, Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital Holy Spirit
• 2009 –            Medical Director, University Eye Clinic Svjetlost, Zagreb, Croatia

Foreign languages

• english, french, german, italian.

Self Report Of Teaching

Local Contributions – Medical School, University of Zagreb and Rijeka

• 1995.– 2001Postgraduate Study in Immunology ( Zagreb )
  – Instructor: immunology in ophthalmology
  – up to 20 physicians/residents
  – 6 hours/year (as lecturer)
• 1995-2001 Postgraduate Study in Ultrasound ( Zagreb )
  – Instructor: ultrasound in ophthalmology
  – 10 physicians / residents
  – 12 hours/year (as lecturer); 10 hours/year (as section leader)
• 2001 – Postgraduate Study in Immunology ( Rijeka )
  Instructor: immunology of the eye, corneal transplantation
  up to 20 physicians/residents
  6 hours/year
• 2001, 2002 Postgraduate Study in Transplantation Medicine (Zagreb)
  Instructor: preparation of ocular tissue donor, storage of ocular tissue
  up to 20 physicians/residents
  6 hours/year
• 2004 Postgraduate Study in Microbiology (Zagreb)
  Instructor: infections of biomaterials in ophthalmology
  up to 20 physicians/residents
  6 hours/year
• 2010 Postgraduate Study in Ophthalmology (Rijeka)

Regional, National, and International Contributions

• 1997. International Summer School “Corneal Transplantation, Eye Banking and Corneal Diseases”: “Cytokines in the Aqueous Humour of Patients with Different Corneal Diseases”
• 1998. Research Seminar, Schepens Eye Research Institute: “Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Regulates Corneal Langerhans Cell Migration”
• 1999. American Eye Bank Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology: “Topical Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor I (sTNFRI) Promotes the Survival and Decreases Vascularization of Minor Alloantigen-Disparate Corneal Transplants
• 1999. Videocataract: “Clear lens extraction”, Ophthalmology Meeting, Ljubljana , Slovenia
• 2000. International Ophthalmology Course and Wet-lab: “PHACO-surgery”, Ljubljana , Slovenia
• 2001. Live surgery, “Phaco operations”, Telemedical link Split- Zagreb
• 2002. Live surgery “Phaco operations”, Zagreb
• 2005. Live surgery: “Phaco operations”, University Eye Department, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 2005. 2nd Pannonic Ophthalmology Meeting & 1st Conference on Prevention of Blindness Vision 2020: “Course – PHACO for Begginers” “Conjunctival Limbal autotransplantation and amniotic membrane transplantation in treatment of corneal burns“, „Pediatric keratoplasty combined with amniotic membrane transplantation“, Novi Sad , Serbia and Montenegro
• 2005. 1st International Ophthalmological School : “Basic PHACO surgery”, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2005. Live-surgery: “Aqualase technique in cataract surgery”, Zagreb , Croatia
• 2006. 2nd International Ophthalmological School : “Advanced PHACO Course: Complications in PHACO, how to avoid and solve them”, “Aqualase technology and Restor IOL implantation”, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2006. Refractive surgery Meeting: “Results of refractive lens exchange with ReStor IOL implantation”, Ljubljana , Slovenia
• 2007. 3rd International Ophthalmological School : “Diffractive intraocular lenses in cataract and refractive surgery, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2008.  International Ophthalmological School : “Complications of PHACO Course“, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2009. Dubrovnik Ophthalmology Academy : “Complications of PHACO Course“, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2010. Svjetlost Ophthalmology Academy : “Complications of PHACO Course“, Dubrovnik , Croatia
• 2010. EU Cornea, Venezia:  European Eye Bank Association
• 2010. 19th Annual Congress of the European Association of Tissue Banks, Berlin: EEBA – a European network for eye banking
• 2010. Introduction of Endothelial Lamellar keratoplasty- DSAEK  as a new surgical method in Croatia