Gabriela Hrčková, RNDr., DrSc.

hrckovaAddress

  • Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 04001 Košice, Slovakia

E-mail

  • hrcka( at )saske.sk

Phone

  • +421-55-633 14 12

ORCID: 0000-0002-6994-8751

Web of Science Researcher ID: I-3107-2018

Scopus Author ID: 7003600070

Scientific interests

  • pharmacology and therapy of infectious diseases caused by medically important larval stages of cestodes and nematodes.
  • combination therapy with compounds of natural origin (flavonoids and didepsides, transfer factor) and anthelmintics to potentiate efficacy and alleviate the pathology of diseases.
  • molecular, biochemical and immunological mechanisms of host-parasite interactions  and regulation by secreted molecules using model larval cestode Mesocestoides vogae
  • molecular pharmacology and screening of anthelmintic potential of  natural compounds on model larval cestode in vitro and in vivo
  • authentic neuropeptides of cestodes and neurotransmitters, their receptors and signalling pathways
  • nanosized delivery systems for drugs and other compounds to improve pharmacokinetics and efficacy using phospholipid vesicles with modified surface
  • cancer therapy and potential of natural compounds in drug discovery
Work experience
1999-present   senior research scientist; Institute of Parasitology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Košice, Slovakia
2013   Qualification Ia (chief researcher)
1999   Qualification IIa (senior researcher)
1994-2001   researcher; Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia
1990-1993   Ph.D. student; Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia
1986-1987   Postgraduate training study, Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia
1995-1996   Hygiene Institute, Košice, Slovakia
Education and training
2013   DSc., degree “Doctor of Sciences” in Pharmacology (corresponds  to  degree “professor” in Western University system), awarded by Scientific Committee at University of P.J. Šafarik in Košice and approved by Ministry of School and Education of Slovakia
1990-1993   Ph.D. study at the Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia;
Degree CSc. (equivalent to Ph.D.) awarded by the Presidium of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
1980-1985   Specialization – Parasitology/Experimental pharmacology
University study at the Faculty of Science, UPJŠ, Košice, Slovakia;
Degree RNDr. (Doctor of Natural Sciences) awarded by the Faculty of Science, University of P. J. Šafárik (UPJŠ), Košice, Slovakia specialization – Biology/Molecular and Cell Biology
1975-1980   The secondary school grammar School , Poštova 2, Košice, Slovakia
Working stays abroad
April 2009   Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, London, UK
July-August 2007   Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, London, UK
2003-2005   Short-term visits (two weeks): Dept. of Medical parasitology, Hygiene Institute in Vienna and University in Vienna, Austria
May-June 2002
August-September 2001
May-June 2000
June-July 1999
  Department of Comparative Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology, School of Biology and Biochemistry, The Queen´s University of Belfast UK (two months visits/each year)
October 1998   San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
May 1997   Dept. of Biology, University in Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
April 1995 - March 1996   Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, School of Biology and Biochemistry, The Queen´s University of Belfast (awarded by the Royal Society of UK
April 1993
September 1992
  School of Biology and Biochemistry,  The Queen´s University of Belfast
March-April 1992   Drug Design and Delivery Group, King´s College, University of London, UK
November 1991   Institute of Helminthology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moskva, Russia
1992,1993,1995   Central European Schools for Immunology (one week/year)  Slovak and Czech Republic (under the support of Basel Institute of Immunology, Switzerland
Memberships
1995-present   Member of  the Slovak Society of Parasitology
2010-2015   Member of the Scientific Collegium for “ Molecular biology and genetics” at the Slovak Academy of Sciences
2010-present   Member of the Ph.D. Study Committee, study section “Molecular cytology”  the Faculty of Sciences, University of P.J.Šafárik, Košice, Slovakia
Prizes and awards
1999-present   Nominated representative of Slovak Republic as the expert for molecular biology and Biotechnology in United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna, Austria
1997   Nominated as honour representative of the Slovak Academy of Sciences at the meeting organized by French Academy of Sciences and Rhone Poulec Company to support activities of the Union of young European scientists - Scientia Europaea No.2, 1997, Paris, France