Dr. Natalija Matic first worked in the EU Sector and then at the Unit for Implementation of National Water Management Projects and Department of Development in Hrvatske vode, a legal entity for water management, Croatia. She received her Ph.D. in Hydrogeology from Zagazig University Faculty of Engineering in 2012. Her research interests include Environmental Impact Assessment, Water Quality, Water Analysis, Water Resource Management, Environmental Protection, Tectonics, Environment, Environmental Analysis, Environmental Pollution, and Environmental Monitoring.
Dr. Hrvoje Gasparovic is currently the Director of the Department for Adult Cardiac Surgery at the University Hospital Center Zagreb, Croatia. He is also the Director of the surgical arm of the institutional heart transplantation program. He received his MD from the University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia, in 1996. His surgical portfolio includes heart failure surgery (heart transplantation, durable mechanical circulatory assistance), minimally invasive heart surgery, valve reconstruction, complex aortic root surgery, and coronary surgery. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Gasparovic is also active in the academic arena. He is a Professor of Surgery at the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb. His academic activity includes over 100 peer-reviewed articles, 11 book chapters, and numerous presentations at international meetings. The highlight of his surgical education was a 2-year clinical fellowship in cardiac surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, USA. He is currently the President of the Croatian Association for Cardiac Surgery. His research interests include Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Surgery, Mitral Valve Repair, Arrhythmia Surgery, Heart Transplantation, and VAD implantation.
Dr. Igor Rudez is a Chief at the Department of Cardiac and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia, and a Director at the Heart Transplant Program, University Hospital Dubrava. He graduated from the Medical School University of Zagreb, Croatia, in 1991. He received his MSc Degree from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, in 1998, and his PhD from Medical School, University of Osijek, Croatia, in 2007. In 2001/2002, he was a visiting surgeon at UniKlinik Hamburg Eppendorf, Germany (mentor Prof. H. Reichenspurner). His research interests include beating heart surgery-OPCAB, aortic valve repair, mitral valve repair, cardiac transplantation, myocardial protection aortic aneurysms, external reinforcement, and arterial revascularization.
