Dean Lipovac
researcher
Dean Lipovac, a (bio)psychologist by training, is a researcher at the Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana and an assistant professor in the field of psychology at the University of Primorska. He teaches Qualitative Research, Research Design and Statistical Data Analysis, and Advanced Statistical Methods in Psychology at the Biopsychology and Psychology study programs. During his doctoral studies, he studied mental health in the built environment—how to create spaces that can improve wellbeing of people. At the Institute of Criminology, he primarily deals with methodological and statistical challenges in various research projects.
Fields of Research
Criminology, sentencing, recidivism, illegal substances.
2025
- Jutraž, A., Kukec, A., Erce Paoli, M., Uršič, S., Hojs, A., Lipovac, D., Bitenc, K., & Kutnar, A. (2025). Ensuring quality indoor environment in homes for the older adults in Slovenia. Javno zdravje, (1). https://doi.org/10.26318/JZ-2025-1
2024
- Podrekar, N., Lipovac, D., Kastelic, K., & Šarabon, N. (2024). Association of self-reported musculoskeletal pain with school furniture suitability and daily activities among primary school and university students. PLoS One, 19(10), e0305578. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305578
2023
- Kastelic, K., Šarabon, N., Burnard, M. D., Lipovac, D., & Pedišić, Ž. (2023). Association of meeting 24-hour movement guidelines with low back pain among adults. AIMS Public Health, 10(4), 964–979. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2023062
- Lipovac, D., & Burnard, M. D. (2023). Human preferences for the visual appearance of desks: Examining the role of wooden materials and desk designs. Buildings, 13(7), 1680. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071680
- Lipovac, D., & Erce Paoli, M. (2023). Wellbeing, loneliness, health-related quality of life and perception of technology of older adults in Slovenian senior homes: A cross-sectional study. Open Research Europe, 3, 195. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.16205.1
2022
- Podrekar, N., Lipovac, D., Jordan, S., Burnard, M. D., & Šarabon, N. (2022). Thermal effusivity of different tabletop materials in relation to users’ perception. Applied Ergonomics, 100, 103664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103664
- Lipovac, D., Žitnik, J., & Burnard, M. D. (2022). A pilot study examining the suitability of the mental arithmetic task and single-item measures of affective states to assess affective, physiological, and attention restoration at a wooden desk. Journal of Wood Science, 68, 35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10086-022-02042-5
- Lipovac, D., Strømmen Wie, S. T., Nyrud, A. Q., & Burnard, M. D. (2022). Perception and evaluation of (modified) wood by older adults from Slovenia and Norway. Wood and Fiber Science, 54(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.22382/wfs-2022-05
2021
- Kastelic, K., Lipovac, D., Pedišić, Ž., Kastelic, N., Chen, S.-T., & Šarabon, N. (2021). Associations of meeting 24-h movement guidelines with stress and self-rated health among adults: Is meeting more guidelines associated with greater benefits? BMC Public Health, 21, 929. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10979-3
- Lipovac, D., & Burnard, M. D. (2021). Effects of visual exposure to wood on human affective states, physiological arousal and cognitive performance: A systematic review of randomized trials. Indoor and Built Environment, 30(8), 1021–1041. https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X20927437
2020
- Lipovac, D., Hajdu, L., Strømmen Wie, S. T., & Nyrud, A. Q. (2020). Improving mental wellbeing in organizations with targeted psychosocial interventions. Business Systems Research Journal, 11(2), 86–98. https://doi.org/10.2478/bsrj-2020-0017
- Lipovac, D., Podrekar, N., Burnard, M. D., & Šarabon, N. (2020). Effect of desk materials on affective states and cognitive performance. Journal of Wood Science, 66, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10086-020-01890-3
Current projects:
- Sentrix: Sentencing architecture: building a decision-making matrix (2025 – 2030) – project leader: Dr. Mojca Mihelj Plesničar
-
Social and public health dimensions of cannabis regulation and use (1. 10. 2024 – 30. 9. 2026) – project leader: dr. Kristina Čufar
-
Stalking as a form of domestic violence (1. 10. 2024 – 30. 9. 2026) – project leader: dr. Eva Bertok
-
Validation of a screening tool for risk assessment in penitentiary institutions (1. 10. 2024 – 30. 9. 2025) – project leader: dr. Dean Lipovac
- Alternatives to conventional punishment of drug offenders: the case of cannabis (1. 10. 2023 – 30. 9. 2025) – project leader: dr. Kristina Čufar
- Addressing Peer Violence: A systemic approach to providing a lasting safe and supportive school environment (1. 10. 2023 – 30. 9. 2025) – project leader: dr. Jasmina Arnež
- Measuring social climate in prisons: methods, procedures and practice (1. 10. 2023 – 30. 9. 2025) – project leader: dr. Mojca Mihelj Plesničar
