Neuropsychiatrist, retired.
Specialist in addiction diseases.
Member of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences.
Member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Private practice
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Professor Emeritus, Ph.D.,a neuropsychiatrist and specialist in addiction diseases affiliated with the School of Medicine at the University of Zagreb. An associate member of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences since 1994 and a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Born on October 4th, 1947, graduated from the University of Zagreb School of Medicine in 1971. Became a specialist in neuropsychiatry with a subspecialty in addiction diseases. Employed at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb “Sestre milosrdnice” (Sisters of Mercy), served as head of the Institute for Addiction Diseases until retirement in 2013. Since 1978, a full professor at the University of Zagreb and a scientific advisor at the Institute of Social Sciences “Ivo Pilar.” A head of the Referral Center for Drug Addiction under the Ministry of Health, a collaborative member of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences, and a member of the Expert Council of the Government’s Office for Combating Drug Abuse. Since the 1980s, head of the Department of Drug Addiction. In 1973, created and managed the National Register of Treated Alcoholics, followed by the National Register of Drug Addicts in 1978.In the mid-1980s, developed harm reduction programs aimed at preventing the spread of HIV and hepatitis infections among drug users. From 1990 to 2000, the president of the Office for Combating Narcotic Drug Abuse. As president of the Croatian Government Commission for the Prevention of Drug Abuse,created the National Strategy for Combating Drug Abuse in 1996 and oversaw its implementation until 2001. Developer of a network of county coordinating bodies for combating addiction, an outpatient network of drug addiction treatment centers, and introduced contemporary pharmacotherapy with opioid agonists—methadone in 1991 and buprenorphine in 2003—making these treatments highly effective and accessible.Developer of an original model for school-based prevention of substance abuse. From 1996 to 2002, the permanent representative of the Rep. of Croatia in the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe. Expert supervisor for mental health, prevention, and treatment of addiction,led several research projects,published around 150 scientific papers.Receiver of the European Opiate Addiction Association “Chimera” Award in 2010. Married, father of two,resides in Zagreb.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
8:45am - 9:15am EST