Staff

Patricia Tomac

M.A. in Psychology / Doctoral Research Assistant

Education

since 2021 enrolled in Doctoral Degree Program in Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
2013-2016 Master’s Degree Program in Psychology, Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb
2010-2013 Bachelor’s Degree Program in Psychology, Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb

since 2021 Doctoral Research Assistant, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb
2021 Psychologist in a team, Society for Psychological Assistance, Zagreb; UNICEF project Emergency response to earthquake Sisak-Moslavina County – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
2020 Psychology Expert, Study.com, LLC, SAD (remote)
2016-2017 Psychology Intern, Elementary School Titus Brezovacki, Zagreb
2016 Team member (psychology instructor), Kvantum znanja, Zagreb
2015-2016 Team member (psychology instructor), Vita Cognita, Zagreb; ESF project Child’s smile reinforces family

since 2021 in psychotherapist training for Behavioral-Cognitive Therapies (CBT; Level 2), Croatian Association for Behavioral-Cognitive Therapies, Zagreb, Croatia
Additional training in “third wave” CBT: MBCT (8-weeks), ACT, CFT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (online)
Translational Sleep Medicine: from basic to clinical, European Sleep Research Society, Athens, Greece
Psychological First Aid and Crisis Intervention, Psychological Center TESA, Zagreb
Advanced Psychological Tests: MMPI-2, WAIS-IV, RCFT and related tests, Wartegg test interpretation
Science Training Sessions, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, SAD (online)

2016 Rector’s Award for scientific paper Hand dominance and electrophysiological brain activity during motor and cognitive inhibition
2015 Head of the Croatian Studies’ Recognition for research published in a peer-reviewed journal in the academic year 2014/2015

since 2024Team member on research project funded by the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education: Interactions between human and environmental health: determinants for health preservation – HumEnHealth (Lead: Jelena Macan, Ph. D.); work package Mental Health (PI: Adrijana Bjelajac, Ph. D.)
since 2021 Doctoral Research Assistant on project funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ): Exposure to pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides in children – risk assessment for adverse effects on neuropsychological development and hormonal status – PyrOPECh, HrZZ IP-2019-04-7193 (PI: Veda Marija Varnai, Ph. D.)
2021-2023 Team member on research project financed by the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health: Sleep quality in different age groups in Croatia before and during COVID-19 pandemic – CoV-Sleep (PI: Adrijana Bjelajac, Ph. D.)
2019-2021 Team member on research project funded by Catholic University of Croatia: Family dynamics, health and wellbeing of Croatian families in the light of war and postwar experiences (PI: Martina Knežević, Ph. D.)
2013-2016 Team member/Research Assistant on research projects funded by University of Zagreb: Exercise motivation in men and women, Cognitive and inhibitory control: EEG study, Social cognition in Croatian Homeland war veterans, Information processing speed in emerging adulthood (PI: Martina Knežević, Ph. D.)

since 2022/2023 Faculty of Metallurgy, University of Zagreb, Sisak; Graduate study program in Safety, health at work and environment, Health effects of chemical hazards
2022/2023 Faculty of Metallurgy, University of Zagreb, Sisak; Undergraduate study program in Safety, health at work and environment, Work Psychology
2013/2014 – 2017/2018 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Croatian studies, University of Zagreb; Undergraduate study program in Psychology, Basics of Biological Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology

The work of the doctoral research assistant is funded by Croatian Science Foundation (Young researchers’ career development project – training of doctoral students; DOK-2021-02-7823) under the supervision of Dr. A. Bjelajac.