
Jelena Macan was born on September 14, 1963 in Zagreb. She graduated in 1988 from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb and obtained the title of Doctor of Medicine. She received her master’s degree at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb in 1998 after completing the post-graduate course in Clinical Immunology. At the same faculty, she received her PhD degree in 2002, and after completing the specialist exam, became a specialist in Occupational Medicine in 2003. She obtained the PhD degree in the scientific field of Biomedicine and Health, Public health and health care, branch of Occupational Medicine. In the same scientific field, branch and field, she was elected to the scientific title of scientific associate in 2003, senior scientific associate in 2006, scientific advisor in 2009, and scientific advisor in the permanent title in 2015. Since 2005, she has held the position of permanent forensic expert vitness in occupational medicine. In 2014, she acquired the title of primarius. Since 1994, she has been employed at the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine in Zagreb. Since the beginning of her scientific activity, she has been engaged in scientific research and professional work in the field of occupational and sports medicine and health ecology. She is the head of the Division for Occupational and Environmental Health and the director of the company Occupational Medicine of the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine Ltd (with a share of 10% working time). Since 2009, she has been the assistant editor of the journal Archive for occupational hygiene and toxicology. She has been the president of the Ethics Committee of the Institute since 2016, and in the mandate of 2014-2018, she was a member of the Committee for Ethics in Science and Higher Education of the Croatian Parliament. Since 2019, she has been a regular member of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences, College of Public Health. Since 2014, she has held the position of chief mentor for occupational and sports medicine residents as authorized by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia, and since 2021 the position of mentor to candidates for permanent forensic occupational medicine expert witnesses. She was the mentor of 3 master’s theses in occupational medicine, 3 PhD theses at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb, and 1 PhD thesis at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Zagreb. She participates as a lecturer in the post-graduate course “Occupational and Sports Medicine” at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb (courses: Occupational diseases, toxicology and occupational pathology; Assessment of work and sports ability; Chronic diseases of workers and athletes), in the continuous educational courses of the Croatian Association for disinfection, disinsection and pest control, at the graduate course “Safety, Occupational Health and Working Environment” at the Faculty of Metallurgy, University of Zagreb (course: Health risks of chemical hazards), and at the first category courses for candidates for forensic expert witnesses.