Group LeaderIgor Grabovac, MD, PhD

igor.grabovac@meduniwien.ac.at
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Igor-Grabovac-2
@GrabovacIgor
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9605-1467

About Dr. Igor Grabovac

Igor graduated in Medicine from the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb (Croatia). During his student days, he developed an interested in improving health in vulnerable communities. As a student researcher at the Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine at the School of Public Health “Andrija Stampar” in Zagreb (Croatia) he conducted research on discrimination of LGBT patients and doctors in the Croatian health care system. As a student he worked for the International Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer Youth and Student Organization (IGLYO) as s member of the Health Working Group, where he was involved with policy and research on access to healthcare for young LGBTIQA+ people in Europe. After a medical internship and obtaining his medical licence as a general practitioner, he started working at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, University Clinic for Internal Medicine II, Vienna General Hospital as a resident in occupational medicine at the same time starting his doctorate in Public Health at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria. In 2017, he started his residency training in public health as the first resident physician in public health in Austria at the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. Since 2020, Igor coordinates the Public Health curriculum for undergraduate students in human medicine at the Medical University of Vienna. Igor is interested in how implementation science and social medicine can create healthier communities. In 2023, Igor completed his residency training and an internal competitive tenure track and was awarded the title of Associate Professor and Specialist in Public Health.

In medicine, we often focus on individual risk factors and forget about the structural issues that forge realities in which people live, work and love. It is important to understand and study the social and physical environments that shape health outcomes, to learn how to influence them and change them to create healthier and more just communities.
Dr. Igor Grabovac

Biography

Areas of interest

Implementation science, social medicine, vulnerable communities, LGBTIQA+ health, sexual health

Highlighted publications

Grabovac I, Smith L, Stefanac S, Haider S, Cao C, Waldhoer T, Jackson SE, Yang L. Healthcare Providers´ Advice on Lifestyle Modification in the US Population: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2016. Am J Med. 2019;132(4):489–497.e1 doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.11.021

Grabovac I, Smith L, McDermott DT, Stefanac S, Yang L, Veronese N, Jackson SE. Well-being among older gay and bisexual men and women in England: a cross-sectional population study. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2019;20(9):1080-5.e1, doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2019.01.119

Grabovac I, Veronese S, Stefanac S, Haider S, Jackson SE, Koyanagi A, Meilinger M, Stubbs B, Firth, J, Soysal P, Di Gennaro F, Demurtas J, McDermott, Abbs A, Yang L, Smith L. HIV infection and diverse physical health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;15;70(9):1809-1815., Doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz539

Gil-Salmeron A, Smith L, Yang L, Rieder A, Grabovac I. Differences in Health Status, Health Behaviour and Health Care Utilization between Immigrant and Native Homeless People in Spain: an Exploratory Study. Health Soc Care Community. 2021;00:1-11. Doi: 10.1111/hsc.13313

Seiler-Ramadas R, Markovic L, Staras C, Llop Medina L, Perak J, Carmichael C, Horvat M, Bajkusa M, Baros S, Smith L, McDermott DT, Grabovac I. “I don’t even want to come out”: the suppressed voices of our future and opening the lid on sexual and gender minority youth workplace discrimination in Europe: a qualitative study. Sex Res Soc Policy. 2021; Doi: 10.1007/s13178-021-00644-0

Professional membership

Croatian Medical Chamber: licence to practice medicine as general practitioner
Austrian Medical Chamber: licence to practice medicine as doctor-in-training
Austrian Public Health Association: Coordinator of the Competency Group for Sexual and Gender Diversity (since 2017)
Austrian Epidemiological Association: member
European Public Health Association: Governing Board Member, Steering Group Member of the Section for Sexual and Gender Minority Health
European Network of Medical Residents in Public Health: Austrian representative

Achievements and awards

2023. Internal Tenure Track Programme (Associate Professor)

2022. “Veronika Fialka Moser” Diversity Prize of the Medical University of Vienna in the Category “Engagement” (with Charlotte Rösel)

2021. Habilitation (venia docendi) in Public Health

2021. “Veronika Fialka Moser” Diversity Prize of the Medical University of Vienna in the Category “Teaching”

2020. “Christian Dadak Award” for Best Poster Presentation at the Symposium of the Austrian Association of Sexual Medicine and Promotion of Sexual Health (with Lovro Markovic)

2017. Austrian Gay Professionals Research Award

2014. Deans Award for the Best Student Research Project at the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb (with Anamarija Marijanovic)

Education

2005-2013: Graduate study program in Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia (Doctor of Medicine)

2014-2018: Doctorate Program in Applied Medical Science, Thematic Program “Public Health”, Medical University of Vienna (Doctor of Science)

2017- 2023: Residency training in Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria (Specialist in Public Health)