Hrvatski
English
The Scientific Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja was held at the Osijek Cultural Centre on 29–30 October 2026, organised by the Institute for Scientific and Artistic Work of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, and the City of Osijek. The overarching theme of this year’s Assembly was An Economically Strong and Resilient Slavonia and Baranja, with presentations organised into three thematic sessions: Food, Knowledge, and Governance. Academic staff from the Faculty of Medicine Osijek contributed four papers, whose abstracts were published in the Book of Abstracts issued by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Two papers from our Faculty were presented in the Food session, chaired by Professor Ines Drenjančević.
Professor Ines Drenjančević presented the paper Carnosine-Enriched Functional Food as a Translational Approach to Improving Microcirculation and Cardiovascular Health. The paper brings together findings from the research group at the Scientific Centre of Excellence for Personalised Health Care, showing that carnosine-enriched meat improves microvascular reactivity in patients with chronic coronary syndrome, enhances vasodilation in athletes, and strengthens antioxidant defences. These findings support functional food as a translational strategy for the prevention and adjunctive treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Associate Professor Ivan Miškulin presented the paper Diet as a Determinant of Health and Economic Resilience in Slavonia and Baranja. Addressing the paradox of a region that produces high-quality food yet records above-average mortality from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, the authors proposed a public health intervention model linking local food resources, education, and regional health policy through collaboration among the healthcare system, schools, local government, and the food industry.
In the Governance session, Assistant Professor Marija Raguž Vinković presented the paper Artificial Intelligence and Croatian Scientific Journals. The paper outlines the basic concepts of artificial intelligence and large language models and analyses how Croatian scientific journals indexed in Hrčak formulate their policies on the use of artificial intelligence according to publication language and scientific discipline, raising questions about ethics, authorship, and the human role in science.
Later in the Governance session, Assistant Professor Anamarija Petek Erić presented the review paper Mental Health and Community Resilience in Times of Crisis. The paper examines mental health as a key component of community resilience during pandemics, natural disasters, and other crises, emphasising the importance of accessible psychological and psychiatric care, early interventions, and cross-sector collaboration among healthcare, social services, and education.
Participation in the Assembly highlights the role of the Faculty of Medicine Osijek in connecting biomedical research with regional development issues, from functional food and dietary habits to mental health and the responsible use of new technologies in science.
