Jasna Jurasović

Division of Occupational and Environmental Health

PhD / Scientific Advisor with Tenure

Place and date of birth

Nova Gradiška, 19 May 1965

Education

  • 2001 Ph.D. in Biomedicine and Health Sciences at Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Thesis: Influence of Lead, Cadmium, and Selenium on Glutathione Peroxidase in Blood and Semen Quality in Men, supervisor: S. Telišman)
  • 1992 M.Sc. in Natural Sciences in the field of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science University of Zagreb (Thesis: Determination of Lead and Cadmium in Human Seminal Fluid by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, supervisor: S. Telišman)
  • 1988 B.Sc. in Chemistry, Faculty of Science University of Zagreb (Thesis: Synthesis and solvolisis of 3,5-dinitrobenzoats 7-aryl-7-norbornanols, supervisors: V. Deljac and D. Sunko)

Work Experience

  • Since 1988 in Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb

Fields of interest

  • Assessment of occupational and environmental human exposure to metals; toxicology of metals; interaction of essential and toxic elements; biological monitoring of metal exposure; influence of smoking and dietary habits on metal exposure and on epigenetic changes in vulnerable population groups (women of reproductive age, pregnant women, and newborns); potential effects of genetic factors on personal susceptibility to the toxic effects of metals
  • Development of analytical methods for determination of mineral macroelements and toxic and essential trace elements in biological samples by ICP-MS and AAS techniques; analysis of microplastics by LDIR

Additional training

  • 2004–2005 Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Tohoku, Sendai, Japan: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) scholarship in Research on Environmental Technology
  • Aug 1996 Szeged University, Szeged, Hungary, EUROTOX course Modern Trends and Principles of Chemical Safety
  • Sep 1995 Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland, EUROTOX course Principles of Risk Assessment from Chemical Exposure

Additional training

  • 2020-2023 webinars and on-line seminars in microplastic analysis, elemental analysis sample preparation, PFAS analysis
  • 1st Workshop on Mass Spectrometry in Life Sciences, Faculty of Science University of Zagreb
  • Basics of Proteomics, seminar and workshop, Biocentar, Zagreb

Awards

  • 2007 and 2018: annual award of the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health for the publication with the highest number of citations (Telišman S, Cvitković P, Jurasović J, Pizent. A, Gavella M, Ročić B. Semen quality and reproductive endocrine function in relation to biomarkers of lead, cadmium, zinc, and copper in men. Env Health Perspect 2000;108:45-53)

Memberships

  • Croatian Society of Toxicology – Member of the Presidency of the Society
  • Croatian Chemical Society

Other

Research Projects

Principal Investigator / Coordinator:

  • Development of functional beverage in sustainable packaging – JamINNO+ (2020-2023), European Regional Development Fund, KK.01.2.1.02.0305, PI: S. Lovković, Jamnica plus d.o.o., Zagreb, IMROH coordinator: J. Jurasović
  • Assessment of daily exposure to metals and maternal individual susceptibility as factors of developmental origins of health and disease – METALORIGINS (2017-2022), Croatian Science Foundation HrZZ-IP-06-2016-1998, PI: M. Piasek (2017-2020) and J. Jurasović (2021-2022)
  • Interaction of blood lead and cadmium and serum selenium in men (1997-2000), Croatian Ministry of Science, project for young scientists No. 00220341

Team member on other national and international research projects:

  • Interactions between human and environmental health: determinants for health preservation – HumEnHealth (2024-2027), Croatian Ministry of Science and Education, PI: J. Macan
  • Aging-related expression of membrane transporters in rat – AGEMETAR (2014-2018), Croatian Science Foundation HrZZ-IP-11-2013-1481, PI: I. Sabolić and D. Breljak
  • Monitoring of organic and inorganic pollutants in the environment of Plitvice Lakes National Park (2011-2013), Plitvice Lakes National Park, PI: S. Herceg Romanić
  • Exposure to metals and their effects in pregnancy and postnatal period (2007-2013), Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports No. 00222148-2135, PI: M. Piasek
  • Reproductive health effects of toxic and essential metals in men (2007-2013), Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, No. 00222411-2408, PI: S. Telišman and A. Pizent
  • Immunotoxic effects of the indoor bioaerosols and lifestyle (2002-2006), Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, PI: B. Kanceljak
  • Reproductive health effects of metals in men (2002-2006), Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports. No. 0022010, PI: S. Telišman
  • Levels of essential and toxic metals in children’s blood (1998-2002), Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology, No. 108236, PI: A. Votava-Raić
  • Interactions of lead, cadmium, copper and zinc in relation to blood pressure in man (1997-2001) Croatian Ministry of Science, No. 00220304, PI: S. Telišman
  • Metals in the environment and their health impacts (1991-1996), Croatian Ministry of Science, No. 3-01-138, PI: B. Momčilović and M. Blanuša
  • Lead and neuropsychological function in children (1989-1991), JF-906/EPA, USA; PI: D. Prpić Majić
  • effects of lead on the reproduction ability in man (1989-1991), LH-378/ILZRO, USA; PI: S. Telišman
  • The effects of lead on the reproductive system of males (1986-1989), JFP-719/EPA, USA, PI: S. Telišman

Organization of Scientific Meetings

  • Chair of the Organizing and member of the Scientific Committee of the XI Conference of the International Society for Trace Element Research in Humans – Recent Advances in Trace Element Research in Health and Disease – ISTERH2015, Dubrovnik, 2015
  • Member of the Organizing Committee of the 1st Symposium of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry SAAS22, Zagreb, 2022
  • Member of the Scientific Committees of Croatian Congress of Toxicology CROTOX in 2012, 2016 and 2020

Teaching

  • Participates as a lecturer in the graduate course Health Effects of Chemical Hazards at the Faculty of Metallurgy, University of Zagreb, and the undergraduate course General Toxicology at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka
  • Supervisor of a PhD thesis at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb; supervised 2 PhD theses at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb

 

List of publications