Jan Slezak, PhD., M.D.,
“All my scientific life has been devoted to heart physiology, specifically regarding ischemia, reperfusion, hypoxia, calcium paradox, etc. My recent focus has been treating and preventing radiation-induced heart disease, which is a good model for many heart pathologies. I learned about H2 as a potential radical scavenger that could more easily permeate the injured organs; although skeptical, our lab began investigations and were amazed at the protective effects. We did the experiments again and again to confirm the results, as they were difficult to believe. The benefits of hydrogen are more believable now that we know that hydrogen is not simply an antioxidant, but modulates signal transduction, expression of miRNAs, and protein interactions. We still do not know the exact mechanism of these effects, but the clinical applications of hydrogen as a medical gas strongly warrant our further attention.”
Education
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
- 2010… Vice-director Slovak Medical University in Bratislava
- 2008 D.h.c., University of Zilina
- 1998 – 2009 elected member of 5 Academies ( SAS, SAV,working group of ALLEA, EASA, IACS, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences – foreign member)
- 1998 – 2009 The First Vice-president of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences,Štefánikova 49, 814 38 Bratislava 1, Slovak Republic
- 1988 – 98 Director of the Institute and Professor of Physiology Institute for Heart Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia;
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
1990 – 98 Interruptively Visiting Professor Center of Cardiovasc. Research, Manitoba, Univ. Winnipeg, Canada - 1991 – 2011 President Slovak League for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: “Heart to Heart”
- 1978 – 88 Deputy Director of the Institute of Exptl. Surgery., Slovak Academy of Science, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
- 1968 – 90 Department of Morphology Head, Lecturer, Associate Professor Dept. of Morphology, Inst. Exptl. Surg., Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physiology and Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
- 1984 – 87 D.Sc. Univ. Safarik, Kosice, Czechoslovakia
- 1979 – 86 Interruptively Visiting Professor Dept. of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Dept. of Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA
- 1970 – 72 Visiting Scientist Department of Anatomy, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- 1968 – Ph.D. Head, Dept. of Morphology, Inst. Exptl. Surg., Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
TEACHING SPECIALTIES:
Morphology,Histochemistry, Electron Microscopy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Experimental and/or Molecular Cardiology
MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Since 1971 has been primarily involved in a national cardiovascular research projects, and has been carrying out research into experimental and/or molecular cardiology. He has been involved in basic academic research problems, such as artificial circulation and heart transplantation with special emphasis on the study of histochemical, cytochemical, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural changes in the myocardium under various experimental conditions e.g. ischemia and reperfusion injury, calcium paradox, adaptation of the myocardium to ischemia, efect of radiation on cardivascular system and prevention of its adverse effect, molecular hydrogen effect and treatment etc.
HONORS AND AWARDS:
Total more than 57 awards (selected):
Gold Medal of Slovak Academy of Sciences (2005)
1st price of Academy of Education for popularization of science (2005)
Gold Medal of University of Constantine Philoshopher for Scientific Achievements in Medical Sciences (2006).
President of Slovakia – State Award of Slovak Republic – 1st Class ?udovít Štúr Order (2006)
Doctor Honoris Causa (Dr.h.c.) – Žilina University 2008
Award of the Minister of Education: Great Medal of Mikovíni for lifetime achievement in science and technology
Foreign:
Medal of Merit, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, ISHR (2001)
Honorary Citizen of the city of Winnipeg – Canada (2001)
Award of International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences “Norman Alpert Award for Established Investigators in Cardiovascular Sciences” (2002)
Fellow of International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (2002)
Vincenzo Panagia Distiguished Lecturer Award of International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences 2011
Distinquished leadership award in cardiovascular sciences – International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences Canada 2014
Naranjan Dhalla Award for innovative investigators in Cardiovascular Sciences. IACS 2015
Medal for outstanding contributions to the IACS, ES IACS 2015
PUBLICATIONS:
Total number of papers is over 550, full length publications 332 (In Journals 296, In Books, Text books and Proceedings 36). Total number of abstracts and short papers published – over 490.
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:
International Society for Heart Research (council member till 2001)
European Section of International Society for Heart Research (council member till 1999)
Slovak Histochemical and Cytochemical Society (President from 1990-2000)
Slovak Surgical Society
Slovak League for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases –President from 1991
Czechoslovak Society of Electron Microscopy (council member from 1970 to 2001)
Slovak Physiological Society (council member)
Czechoslovak Society of Clinical and Theoretical Cardiology (council member till 1997)
Slovak Cardiological Society (council member till 2001, honorary member)
International Federation of Cardiological Societies (member)
World Heart Federation member
European Heart Network member
International Federation of Histo and Cytochemical Societies (council member )
Heart Friends Around the World (council member)
International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences ( board of directors and Fellow )
ALLEA member (working group)
European Academies Scientific Advisory Council member and member of WG
European Academy of Sciences and Arts (Salzburg-Vienna) member of academy
Learned Society of SAS- member of academy
Slovak Learned Society member of academy
Russian Academy of Natural Sciences – foreign member of academy
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Editorial activities: editorial board of:
Current Research – Cardiology
Functional and Developmental Morphology (till 1994)
Editorial board of BLL
The Histochemical Journal from 1988
Heart News and Views (till 1999)
Clinical and Experimental Cardiology
Canadian Journal of Cardiology
Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
General Physiology and Biophysics (Field Editor)
Acta Mechanica Slovaca Asoc.editor
Teaching medical and postdoctoral students, supervisor of more than 22 PhD students.
MANAGERIAL ACTIVITIES IN SCIENTIFIC BOARDS:
Board of Slovak Government for Science and Technology (member)
Advisor for science to Prime minister of Slovakia and minister for education
Member of the Committee for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Education SR
Member of the Committee for Biotechnplogy and Biomedicine of the Ministry of Education
Chairman of the Committee of Minister for coordination of PhD. studies
Member of Scientific Board of Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava.
Member of Scientific Board of Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin
Member of Scientific Board of University of Constatinus Phylosofer, Nitra
Member of Scientific Board of Slovak Medical University, Bratislava
Member of Scientific Board of Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Bratislava
Member of Scientific Board of ITVS, Comenius University, Bratislava
Council member of ALLEA (All European Academies – UK)
Member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Austria
Member of Slovak Academical Society
Member of the Learned Society of Slovak Academy of Sciences
Fellow of International Academy of Carsdiovascular Sciences (IACS)
Member of Board of Directors of IACS
Member of Advisory Board of IACS
Foreign member of Russian Academy of Natural Sciences
Member of Acreditation Board of the Czech Government and Ministry of Education of Czech Rep., Etc…
Invited symposia speaker for national and international meetings (46x).
Acting as a session chairman in a number of international and national scientific meetings (48).
Organizer and president of 23 international Conferences and Symposia.
Founder and President of Slovak League for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases – HEART TO HEART League
Faunding member of Slovak Society of Electron Microscopical Society
Faunder and President of Slovak Histo and Cytochemical Society
Awards: more than 57 national and foreign awards.