Dušan Jelić (Croatia; born in 1982; PhD in Reptile Biology-Ecology) is the President of Croatian Institute for Biodiversity and director of BIOTA Ltd. His work includes different aspects of Fish, Amphibian and Reptile research, like distribution, ecology, morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, phylogeography, conservation, etc. He started his PhD in Reptile ecology (focusing on biogeography and species ecological niche overlap) in 2009 and has successfully defended his thesis in October 2013. He worked for 5 years in State Institute for Nature Protection as expert for Amphibians and Reptiles and during this time he edited the second “Red book of Amphibians and Reptiles of Croatia” and worked as expert in designation of Natura2000 ecological network in Croatia (important sites for Amphibians and Reptiles). He has been working as visiting researcher in Nepal (National Trust for Nature Conservation), Armenia (University of Yerevan) and most of the countries of Balkan Peninnsula. During his career he was a project leader in over 50 biodiversity projects and some of the longest herpetofauna monitoring projects in Croatia (long term population studies). His work on conservation of herpetofauna was recognized internationally when he was asked to film wildlife documentary “In too Deep” with Animal Planet and later “Attenborough Ark” with BBC. He was the founder and first editor in charge of the journal HYLA – herpetological bulletin (2011-2015). In 2012 he was awarded fellowship of Zoological Society of London and in 2017 became affiliate fellow. Acts as reviewer in many scientific journals, author of 7 books and 64 scientific papers dealing with amphibians, reptiles and fish.

Dušan Jelić (rođen 1982. u Hrvatskoj; doktorirao na biologiji/ekologiji gmazova) predsjednik je Hrvatskog instituta za bioraznolikost i direktor BIOTA d.o.o.. Njegov rad uključuje različite aspekte istraživanja riba, vodozemaca i gmazova, poput distribucije, ekologije, morfologije, taksonomije, filogenije, filogeografije, očuvanja, i td. 2009. godine započeo je doktorat iz Ekologije gmazova (s fokusom na biogeografiju i preklapanje ekoloških niša vrsta) i uspješno obranio disertaciju u listopadu 2013. Radio je 5 godina u Državnom zavodu za zaštitu prirode kao stručnjak za vodozemce i gmazove i u to vrijeme bio je urednik druge “Crvene knjige vodozemaca i gmazova Hrvatske” te je radio kao stručnjak na određivanju ekološke mreže Natura2000 u Hrvatskoj (područja važna za vodozemce i gmazove). Radio je kao gostujući istraživač u Nepalu (National Trust for Nature Conservation), Armeniji (University of Yerevan) i većini zemalja Balkanskog poluotoka. Tijekom svoje karijere bio je voditelj više od 50 projekata bioraznolikosti i nekih od najdužih projekata praćenja herpetofaune u Hrvatskoj (dugoročna populacijska istraživanja). Njegov rad na očuvanju herpetofaune međunarodno je prepoznat kada su ga zamolili da snimi dokumentarac o divljini “In too Deep” s Animal Planetom i kasnije “Attenborough Ark” s BBC-jem. Bio je osnivač i prvi odgovorni urednik časopisa HYLA – herpetološki bilten (2011.-2015.). Godine 2012. dobio je stipendiju Zoološkog društva Londona, a 2017. postao je pridruženi stipendist. Djeluje kao recenzent u mnogim znanstvenim časopisima, autor je 7 knjiga i 64 znanstvena rada koji se bave vodozemcima, gmazovima i ribama.