OUR TEAM

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Chris Schlierf

CEO

Chris is the founder and CEO of Human Study. Inspired by his experiences of training Prosthetist/Orthotists in Iran after the 2004 earthquake, and in the Balkans in the aftermath of the war, Chris established Human Study in 2005 with the mission to make quality and comprehensive training in prosthetics and orthotics accessible to anyone, anywhere. He has been the leading force of our organization ever since. An experienced Prosthetist/Orthotist (Orthopädie Techniker Meister), Chris has a Master’s Degree in Non-Profit-Management and expertise in education design. He is a long standing member of the ISPO Education Committee and the ISPO Global Educators Meeting (GEM) Sub-Committee. Previous roles include chairing the ISPO e-Learning Sub-Committee and membership of the ISPO Continuous Professional Development Committee. Chris contributed to the development of the ISPO Education Standards for Prosthetic/Orthotic Occupations and acted as an external reviewer during the development of the WHO Prosthetic & Orthotic Standards.

MAHAMED OF HUMAN STUDY

Mehmed Latifagić

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

Mehmed has been with Human Study from the beginning. In addition to managing our Human Resources, Mehmed also manages our regional office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and lectures three online subjects in our BSc. and SCOPe programs. He also provides advanced IT support. Mehmed holds a university degree in electrical engineering.

“I have a lot of roles in Human Study, but my favorite is lecturing. What I am trying to achieve in my lecturing efforts is to be the kind of teacher that will be as close as possible to the following Japanese proverb: ‘Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.’ I am not sure that I reached this, but I am running toward it. I hope that my Human Study students can at least confirm my efforts.”

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Emina Schlierf

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Emina is the head of communications at Human Study. She has been a member of the core team since 2006, building up Human Study’s first project in the South East Europe as project coordinator and translator. She has over 20 years of experience in the NGO sector, where she has worked in many different roles from translation, project management, administration, finances, human resources and finally communications and PR. 

“I have dedicated my entire career to charity work. Building up Human Study has been hard, frustrating,  devastating at times, but knowing that what I do every day helps people who desperately need our attention and help is what makes it all worthwhile. Just a group of enthusiasts, crazy enough to get themselves on this track, I am very proud of what we have accomplished over the years.” 

MARCELO OF HUMAN STUDY

Marcelo Alvarez

PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS DIRECTOR

Marcelo is Human Study’s Director of Prosthetics and Orthotics. He is a certified Orthotist/Prosthetist and a University P&O Lecturer (San Martín University, Argentina). Marcelo has more than 20 years of clinical experience in P&O private and public services in South America and Europe.

NELA OF HUMAN STUDY

Nela Mujačić

PROJECT MANAGEMENT DEPT. LEAD

Nela is an experienced Human Study project manager and our leader in the Project Management Department. She has successfully managed projects in Afghanistan, Southeastern Europe, Tunisia and Syria. Nela has an Associate Degree in Business Management.

“I am so lucky and proud to play a part in the implementation of the Human Study P&O education and to see the difference our education makes for both our students and consequently the P&O users in their countries.”

Sebastian Greulich

HEAD OF FINANCE (CFO)

Sebastian joined Human Study in 2024 as Head of Finance. With his personal experience of wearing a prosthesis, Sebastian decided to bring his skills to the NGO sector. He previously spent 7 years as a Vice President at J.P. Morgan’s fixed income department, then joined Verse as its CFO, leading its 2020 acquisition exit transaction by Block Inc. and overseeing the financial planning and budgeting exercises of all its further P2P payment engagements in EMEA. 

“Fully aware of how powerful it is to be well equipped with orthopedic aids, I am feeling rewarded by giving more people access to them.”

Snežana Rajačić

IT OPERATIONS MANAGER

Snežana is the head of our IT operations, and also manages our regional office in Serbia. She is an experienced e-learning expert, Instructional Designer, LMS and MS365 administrator. Snežana is also a Mathematics and Statistics lecturer in many of our courses. She holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Belgrade.

NICOLAS OF HUMAN STUDY

Nicolás Muñoz

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MANAGER

Nicolás is a prosthetics and orthotics teacher and Human Study project manager. He has a Bachelor’s degree in P&O and a Master’s in Education and e-learning. Nico has over 10 years of clinical experience. He has been transferring his skills as a P&O teacher since 2015.

“In Human Study you have a voice inside the organization, and at the end of the day your work has an impact, you really see it! Not only does it impact the student who is growing, but they are also giving back to the community, and their patients are able to maximize their mobility. It’s hugely rewarding.”

MELIKA OF HUMAN STUDY

Melika Pašić

PROJECT MANAGER

Melika manages Human Study SCOPe projects. She is a Cambridge University BA and MA graduate and a teacher of English and Arabic.

IVAN OF HUMAN STUDY

Ivan Pintar Krajačić

PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS TEACHER

Ivan is a prosthetics and orthotics teacher in Human Study. He is a Prosthetist/Orthotist with a BSc. degree in P&O. He has been a teacher at Human Study for the last 8 years, while working as a practitioner in Croatia providing clients with high-level services in orthotics and prosthetics.

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Anamarija Miraščić

PROJECT MANAGER

Anamarija is a project manager. She has over 20 years of experience in the administrative and financial sectors, including 10 years in the NGO sector. Anamarija holds a BSc. degree in Business Administration.

BOJAN OF HUMAN STUDY

Bojan Gajić

LMS ADMIN & IT SUPPORT

Bojan is Human Study’s LMS (Moodle) Administrator and provides IT support for all our projects. He has a degree in Geology and Geochemistry from the University of Belgrade. Bojan has more than 15 years of teaching experience at university level.

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Irena Karamehić

PROJECT MANAGER

Irena has 9 years of experience working in the NGO sector, of which 6 have been with Human Study. She is managing Human Study’s first Institutional Development Project, a PPO program in Iraq.

Lamija Šerak

REGIONAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Lamija is the administrator of our Regional Office in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has over 20 years of experience in finance and administration. Lamija has a Bachelor’s degree in Financing and Administration from the University of Tuzla.

VEDRAN OF HUMAN STUDY

Vedran Selimović

EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM EDITOR

Vedran is Human Study’s educational platform editor. He has a degree in Management, Economics and Entrepreneurship from the University of Tuzla. By day he is a Senior police officer, and he is also an experienced teacher of informatics.

SEMIRE OF HUMAN STUDY

Semir Karić

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER AND IT SUPPORT

Semir is an experienced software engineer with 15 years of experience in the field. He has been with Human Study from the beginning, as a software developer and IT support. Semir has a degree in Computer Science from the University of Tuzla.

Zlatan Smiljanić

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER AND IT SUPPORT

Zlatan is an experienced software engineer with over a decade of experience in this field. Zlatan has a degree in Electrical Engineering at the Computer Science department from the University of Tuzla. He has been a dedicated member of the Human Study team since its inception, contributing as both a skilled software engineer and an IT support specialist. 

LUIA

Luai Alhallaak

TEACHER AND P&O TRAINER

Luai, an Electronic Engineer from Tishreen University, Syria, is also a certified Prosthetist Orthotist (ISPO CAT I) with nine years of clinical practice in prosthetics and orthotics. He holds a Master’s degree in Electronics and is currently pursuing his PhD in Orthotics and Prosthetics at Mahidol University. With extensive experience as a trainer, lecturer, and educational programs manager, Luai has been with Human Study since early 2022, serving as a teacher and trainer in prosthetics and orthotics.

Luai joined the P&O profession when conflict broke out in Syria. “I was shocked to witness the impact of the war on my village. Multiple refugees, amputees and people who had been paralyzed… huge numbers of traumatic cases. This made me want to help.”

Camila Planells

PROJECT MANAGER

Camila has been with Human Study since the beginning of 2022, serving as the Project Coordinator for our finalized project in Colombia. She holds a degree in Political Science and has devoted a significant portion of her professional career to the field of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Currently, Camila is actively engaged as a Project Manager in a project based in Sierra Leone.

“Ever since I finished my university studies, I realized that what truly fills me with happiness is working in a field that somehow contributes to a community. Working at Human Study has allowed me to grow professionally, learning a great deal from my colleagues, and making a genuine positive impact that I’m confident goes beyond each of the students I’ve shared experiences with.” 

TOMISLAV OF HUMAN STUDY

Tomislav Švigir 

TEACHER AND P&O TRAINER

Tomislav is a prosthetics and orthotics teacher in Human Study. He is a Prosthetist/Orthotist with BSc. degree in P&O and over 25 years of clinical experience. He has been a teacher in P&O for 6 years.

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Tetiana Kolosova 

PROJECT MANAGER

Tetiana is Ukrainian and currently lives in Nuremberg, Germany. She has 20 years of experience in prosthetics/orthotics as an Interpreter and Project Manager. Her first introduction to Human Study was in 2018 when she supported our two APO Programs while working for our Ukrainian partners. She joined the Human Study team in August 2022, leading regional projects in Ukraine.

“For me, Human Study has become a home, protection, and a space where I work among professionals. My Ukraine is at war, going through difficult times. Now I have the opportunity to help people in need in my country, to improve the quality of their lives through the professional development of my students, by going through all the successes and difficulties of the learning process with them. And I am incredibly proud when I see at the final exam how they have grown in prosthetics/orthotics throughout the project!”

Karina v. Schwarzenstein

BOOKKEEPER

Karina has been with Human Study since July 2023.

 “With Human Study, I finally found a workplace where I can use my talents to support a good cause and really make a difference.”

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Olena Latysh  

PROJECT MANAGER

Olena joined the Human Study team in October 2023. She holds a Masters degree in Foreign languages and literature and has many years of experience as a translator, interpreter and administrative assistant. Olena works as Project Manager on our projects in Ukraine.

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Miloš Opačić 

TEACHER AND P&O TRAINER

Miloš is a prosthetics and orthotics teacher in Human Study. He is an M.D., Prosthetist/Orthotist with a BSc. degree in P&O and over 25 years of clinical experience.

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Ahmed Elibrahim

TEACHER AND P&O TRAINER

Ahmed is a teacher of prosthetics and orthotics in our programs. A graduate of Aleppo University English Literature program, Ahmed came into the field of prosthetics and orthotics through the war in his homeland Syria, where he studied in our BSc. program. 

“The commencement of the Syrian conflict deeply affected my personal life, especially after my brother was injured and underwent an amputation. This pivotal moment guided me toward a career in prosthetics and orthotics, with a focus on helping those in Syria who are dealing with similar hardships, including my brother. In Human Study I can concentrate on equipping my colleagues with the necessary knowledge and skills to assist others who have faced comparable challenges.”

mercedes of human study

Mercedes Mendes Paz

LIBRARIAN

Mercedes is an Argentina-based technology-oriented librarian with experience in university, high school and primary school libraries. She is a teacher for the Technology Information subject at a technical degree program in La Plata, Argentina. Her area of study and strong point is the automation of processes.

“Working with Human Study gives me the opportunity to use all my skills in order to contribute to the betterment of people’s lives by providing them with essential skills and resources to overcome challenges, which makes this work truly inspiring and fulfilling.”

yamina of human studies

Yanina Malanuik

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Yanina joined our team in 2024 as our finance and administration staff. She has a Master’s degree in International Economy and many years of experience in sales and marketing.