Special hospital for medical rehabilitation of heart, lung and rheumatic diseases
Ul. Maršala Tita 188,
51410, Opatija, Hrvatska
Doctoral studies
Doctoral education, supervision, defended thesis proposals and recently completed doctorates.
The institution participates in doctoral education at the Doctoral School in Biomedicine and Health at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, through supervision and research conducted at Thalassotherapia Opatija.
The topics are closely related to the institution's clinical work: cardiac rehabilitation and physical training, cardiovascular diagnostics, and cardiometabolic mechanisms of disease.
Defended doctoral thesis proposals
| Doctoral candidate | Doctoral thesis topic | Supervisor(s) | Proposal defended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristina Skroče, MD | “Minimum effective dose of aerobic exercise and the time course of adaptation in different age groups classified by health status, physical fitness and adaptation to physical activity” | Prof. Viktor Peršić, MD, PhD | 15 June 2021 |
| Silvija Miletić Gršković, MD | “The impact of Klotho protein on vascular calcifications in patients with spondyloarthritis” | Prof. Gordana Laškarin, MD, PhD (supervisor); Prof. Viktor Peršić, MD, PhD (co-supervisor) | 29 February 2024 |
| Ana Brajdić Šćulac, MD | “The impact of diaphragm endurance and strength training on cardiac rehabilitation outcomes” | Prof. Viktor Peršić, MD, PhD | 8 November 2024 |
| Viktor Ivaniš, MD | “The impact of aerobic training intensity and volume on inpatient cardiac rehabilitation outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction” | Assoc. Prof. Dijana Travica Samsa, MD, PhD | 28 November 2024 |
| Ivan Rosović, MD | “Coronary microvascular dysfunction in patients with chronic chest pain” | Prof. Gordana Laškarin, MD, PhD (supervisor); Prof. Viktor Peršić, MD, PhD (co-supervisor) | 29 May 2025 |
The doctoral candidates' collaborative work has already resulted in a number of scientific publications.
Institutional psychologists Marina Njegovan and Damjan Dušević are also enrolled in the doctoral programme in psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka.
Recently completed doctorates
Dora Gašparini, PhD, recently earned her doctorate with the thesis “The impact of type 2 diabetes and its treatment on lymphocyte function”. Her supervisor was Assoc. Prof. Felix Wensveen, PhD, and her co-supervisor was Assoc. Prof. Tamara Turk Wensveen, MD, PhD. She was formally awarded the degree in July 2025.
In June 2026, Sandra Rusac-Kukić, MD, PhD, of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation also completed her doctorate with the thesis “The significance of tissue damage-associated molecular patterns high mobility group box 1 and S100A8/A9 proteins, and their receptor for advanced glycation end products, in the serum of patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis”. Her supervisor was Prof. Tatjana Kehler, MD, PhD, and her co-supervisor was Assoc. Prof. Dubravka Bobek, MD, PhD.
