Always approachable and easy to talk to.
Mirjana Moffat serves as an Administrator in the Department of Accountancy and Finance within the Otago Business School at the University of Otago. She supports the department's operations alongside colleagues such as Margaret Grundy, contributing to the administrative functions of this research-based teaching environment. Additionally, she is listed among the operational administrators in the University of Otago's Division of Commerce. Moffat holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences with a focus on Psychology from the University of Otago and has completed a Master of Science Communication (MSciComm) through the Department of Science Communication at the same university. She also undertook a postgraduate history paper at Massey University. Born in Croatia, Moffat is a multi-linguist and former staff member of Massey University's School of Humanities.
As a dedicated science history researcher, Mirjana Moffat specializes in the history of medicine, science communication, and public health measures such as quarantines. Her research explores pivotal historical events, including the first regulated quarantine implemented in Dubrovnik in 1377 to combat the black plague, as well as the Monro family's historical collection of anatomical books and manuscripts held at the University of Otago Library's Special Collections, where she completed a postgraduate project. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she immersed herself in studies of plagues and pandemics. Moffat actively disseminates her knowledge through public lectures organized by the Otago Medical School Alumni Association (OMSAA) and other venues. Notable presentations include 'From Scotland with Love: The Monros and their Collection' (May 2022), 'Plagues and Quarantine in the 14th Century Dubrovnik,' 'Healthcare, Doctors, and Medical Training in Late 14th-Century Europe' (May 2024), 'Sir David Monro (1813–1877): A Man of Many Talents and Skills, A Man of Two Worlds' (October 2023, as an MSciComm candidate), a seminar on medieval medical practice at Dunedin Hospital (May 2024), and 'The Medici, Health, and Diseases in Early Renaissance Europe' (March 2025). She plans further talks on the Middle Ages, Renaissance Florence under the Medici, early Renaissance anatomy, and University of Otago history, blending science communication with compelling historical narratives.
