Academy Members

Jelaska Sibila, F.C.A.

Academic titles:

• Fellow of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
• Doctor of Science

Institutions:

• full professor (retired) – Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
• professor emeritus – The University of Zagreb (07/11/2006 – …)

Functions in Academy:

• deputy secretary – Department of Technical Sciences (01/01/2011 – 12/13/2018)

Membership in Academy:

• full member – Department of Technical Sciences (01/30/1997 – …)
• associate member – Department of Technical Sciences (12/03/1992 – 01/30/1997)

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Biography

Sibila Jelaska was born on 19 September 1938 in Ljubljana (the Republic of Slovenia). She was awarded a B. Sc. degree in biology in 1962 from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Sciences; M. Sc. degree (Plant Physiology, Plant Tissue Culture) in 1965, and Ph.D. from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Sciences. In 1975, she was elected assistant research scientist, in 1980 an associate research scientist, and in 1980 senior research scientist. She was elected full professor in 1987, and in 1999, a full professor with tenure.

In 1997, she became a full member of the Department of Technical Sciences, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, due to her contribution in the field of plant biotechnology. In 2006, she was awarded the title of the professor emeritus at the University of Zagreb.

She has stayed on many occasions in foreign countries for advanced training, with extended stay in France at Faculté des Sciences in Paris (6 months) and as a visiting researcher at University of California, Berkeley, USA (1 year).

Sibila Jelaska has published nearly 100 scientific and expert papers in internationally and nationally recognized journals. She has been the principal investigator of many national research projects, and four international projects (USA, France, Italy).
Her main research interests are: plant cell and tissue culture in general, mechanisms of development and genetics of differentiation and regeneration in tissue culture of higher plants, somatic embryogenesis, regeneration and transformation of herbaceous plants, and microclonal propagation of plants including woody species. She is the author of several chapters in international monographs, and one university textbook entitled: »Culture of Plant Cell and Tissue – Fundamental Investigation and Application« (in Croatian), published by [kolska kniga, Zagreb, Croatia, in 1994.

She has actively participated in more than 130 international and national scientific meetings, and had 30 public lectures (presentations).

At the Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences (in Zagreb), she has introduced several courses: Mechanisms of plant growth and development, and Metodology in scientific research in undergraduate program, and in postgraduate studies the courses entitled: Plant cell culture, Regulatory mechanisms of plant development, and Experimental plant embryogenesis. In
1994, she organized a laboratory for applied plant tissue cultures in genetics at the Ru|er Bo{kovi} Institute in Zagreb.

She was a thesis adviser to 28 undergraduate students, 26 graduate (MSc) students, and 11 PhD students.

She was the first head of the Department of Molecular Biology (1989-1994), and the dean of the Natural Division of the Faculty of Sciences (1992–1994), and for many years a coordinator (head) of Postgraduate Study of Biology at the University of Zagreb.

Sibila Jelaska is a member of several scientific societies: Croatian Society of Biology, Croatian Society of Plant Biology (Physiology) (president 1978–1982); Croatian Genetical Society (president 1984–1986); Yugoslav Society of Plant Physiology (president 1984–1986); Croatian Society of Biotechnology; Federation of European Societies of Plant Physiology (1975–); member of International Association of Plant Tissue Culture (Intl. Assoc. for Plant Biotechnology) and from 1976 to 1990 a national correspodent for the former Yugoslavia.

She was, as an expert, a member during several mandates of the National Council of Science, Republic of Croatia, and also a member of numerous professional commissions.

For her work, Sibila Jelaska was awarded with: The Award of the City of Zagreb for development of original technology in potato seed propagation by microclonal technique in 1984; The Award of the Belgrade University »Stanka and prof. Ljubiša Glišić« for the publication in Plant Cell Reports 3, 125–129, 1984 as the best article in plant physiology in the former Yugoslavia in 1984; and The State Award of the Republic of Croatia for entire scientific contribution in 2000.

Sibila Jelaska was elected a honorary member of Slovenian Society of Plant Biology (2002), Croatian Genetical Society (2009), and Croatian Society of Plant Biology (2011).