Grygoriy Tsenov

I am the Leader of Experimental Neurobiology group and the Head of Preclinical Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health (Klecany, Czech Republic). I received PhD in Neuroscience from Charles University in Prague working on brain excitability changes in perinatal status epilepticus model. Later I focused on role of endothelin receptors in a model of perinatal ischemic stroke. During my postdoctoral stay at the University of Verona, IT (2015-2020) I worked on imaging neural excitability and networks in Genetic Absence Epilepsy Models, antiepileptic drug testing. Last but not least, I focused on microbiome changes in epilepsy models and microRNA based prediction of cerebral ischemia outcome.

As a Postdoctoral fellow, you would join the Experimental Neuroscience working group that is committed to expanding scientific knowledge in the field of neuronal functions under physiological and pathological conditions.

My group uses a range of methods and tools, including immunofluorescence imaging, biochemistry, fiber photometry, electrophysiology, microdialysis and molecular genetic approaches. Its goal is to define the connection between basic research in neurobiology, clinical neurology and psychiatry in the broadest sense of the word.

It focuses on research into the cellular and molecular biology of synaptic transmission and plasticity, neuronal development and signaling, inflammation of the nervous system, physiology of receptors and ion channels, homeostatic and metabolic processes. The group also deals with the issue of neurodegenerative diseases (epilepsy, AD, PD, cerebral ischemia, OCD, etc.) both in adulthood and during the perinatal period.

The department uses a range of methods and tools, including immunofluorescence imaging, biochemistry, in vivo photometry, electrophysiology, microdialysis and molecular genetic approaches.

Filip Španiel

My research activities are based on three pillars, basic and applied research, development of digital platforms for the prevention of relapse of the most serious mental illnesses and development of clinical applications as part of a comprehensive program of comprehensive care in the early stages of the most serious mental illnesses.

About the position

(A) Basic and applied research based on big data within the unique multimodal prospective database of first episode psychotic illness (ESO) that the center is building. In addition to clinically oriented neurobiological research, based on ESO data, we focus on the development of an information system for comprehensive personalized care in psychosis, which integrates clinical data with the results of neuroimaging (MRI), biochemical, immunological, proteomic, neurocognitive and genetic data. This digital platform and extensive normative database serve to predict the course of psychotic illnesses at their earliest stages and form the blueprint for an expert, data-driven decision system for clinicians (CAD) in psychiatry. The development of the CAD system is the main output of this branch of the Center’s activity. Another goal is the subtyping of individual neurobiological entities within the arbitrary nosological concept of schizophrenia, again on the basis of prospective, multimodal ESO data. The intention is to lay the foundations for stratified treatment of psychotic illnesses.

(B) These activities are followed by the second pillar focused on the development of digital platforms for the prevention of relapse of the most serious mental illnesses. We develop and implement also in an international context (i) an mHealth program for the prevention of schizophrenia relapse (ITAREPS), (ii) as part of applied research, we are developing an mHealth program with the collection of actigraphic data for bipolar affective disorder (the AKTIBIPO system), (iii) another area is the development of a digital of the PEBDI system (dynamic pupillometer with wireless data centralization), as a platform for early detection of relapse in schizophrenia and mood disorders.

Both activities (A) and (B) are combined into (C) the development of clinical applications as part of a comprehensive program of comprehensive care for the early stages of the most serious mental illnesses, especially schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorders.

Jaison Jeevanandam

I completed my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in India. Later, I moved to Malaysia to pursue my doctoral studies. After completing my PhD, I relocated to Portugal to gain experience as an early-career researcher, collaborating with esteemed professors, researchers, and scientists from Spain, Germany, and Hungary. Seeking opportunities to further my development and advance my research career, I identified the Czech Republic as an ideal location due to its dynamic research environment, which is crucial for potential scientific growth.
My research project focuses on developing an artificial intelligence platform integrated with nanomedicine for the personalized treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. A 2023 study based on national healthcare data from the Czech population aged 65 and older showed that the number of people living with dementia—caused by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s—was about 156,000 in 2015, with estimates reaching approximately 250,000 by 2023. Therefore, my research project has significant potential to benefit Alzheimer’s patients in Czechia and globally by improving diagnosis and treatment in the future.
The MERIT fellowship will enable me to progress from a mid-career researcher to a recognized leader in my field. It will enhance my leadership skills and help me achieve my goal of establishing an academic research lab and spin-off company, positioning it as a global hub for nanomedicine development in the future.

Ivana Kawikova

As a medical student in Prague, I worked in Professor Jan Herget’s laboratory in the Department of Pathological Physiology of the Pediatric Medical School. This training gave me an excellent foundation for my Ph.D. work on inflammatory mediators at the University of Goteborg in Sweden and Imperial College in London. This opened the door for postdoctoral training at the Yale School of Medicine, which I chose because of its outstanding immunological community. I then stayed as a faculty member at Yale and taught extensively at several other American universities.
My motivation to apply to MERIT was because I worked on the role of immune mechanisms in neuropsychiatric diseases for many years. I am joining Dr. Spaniel’s team at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The team established an exceptional database and biobank to address biological events at the early stages of schizophrenia, and we are all interested in doing translational research together. Another significant factor was that Czechia is my home country, and the MERIT Fellowship helped me reintegrate professionally after working abroad for a long time. Also, I was impressed that the Central Bohemia Innovation Center offers structured assistance in navigating the technology transfer landscape, which is foreign to many researchers, including myself.
The goal of my research is to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools for patients with schizophrenia.
This fellowship, the database, and the biobank at the NIMH make it possible to embark on genuinely translational research, where clinical data feed designs of preclinical experiments, which are then used to develop new diagnostic instruments and possibly new therapies. Also, the fellowship emphasizes the technology transfer of research results to the non-academic sphere. I have no experience with this aspect and look forward to tackling these challenges.

Alena Moudrá

During my PhD at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, I focused on molecular biology, hematology, and immunology. Notable achievements include unraveling the mechanism behind antigen-experienced memory T cell formation and investigating the microbiome’s impact on these cells. In my postdoctoral fellowship at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, I delved into regulatory T cells and microglia.

Applying for a MERIT fellowship meant returning to the Czech Republic after four years abroad to work at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to confront new scientific challenges and broaden my research perspectives. My research project encompasses immunology, microbiome, and neurobiology, aligning seamlessly with my interdisciplinary background. Proficiency in various techniques, such as microbiota sample preparation and immunohistochemistry, equips me with valuable skills for the laboratory.

The National Institute of Mental Health’s renowned expertise and top-tier core facilities provide an optimal setting for my research. I aim to acquire advanced knowledge in neuropsychiatry and bioinformatics, vital for contemporary biomedical research. Dr. Grygoriy Tsenov team’s multidisciplinary proficiency and the exceptional neuropsychiatric platform make the host laboratory an ideal place for skill development. The MERIT fellowship will empower me to conduct innovative in vivo research using cutting-edge tools, enhancing the quality and reliability of scientific results.

Octavian Henegariu

I graduated from the Medical School in Romania, and three years after I obtained a DAAD fellowship to work and study at the Heidelberg University in Germany getting my Doctoral degree in Human Genetics. Later, I moved to the United States, spending four years at the Indiana University School of Medicine to finally establishing at Yale University for the last 26 years in the Departments of Genetics, Immunobiology and currently in Neurosurgery. Because of my parents’ advanced age, and my desire to help them live as comfortably as possible, I explored possibilities of returning closer to my hometown, and the MERIT Fellowship Programme is now giving me not only that opportunity but also to continue my research career in schizophrenia at the National Institute of Mental Health. This opportunity is attractive and even challenging, to think of ways to apply my prior technical research experience and maybe identify disease biomarkers that could be used to evaluate the progression of the disease and/or its response to treatment drugs. Within my research, I am trying to develop a laboratory assay that could be used to screen and evaluate major signaling pathways that are affected when a gene of interest acquires a mutation in a shorter time (1-2 weeks). Using NGS technologies (Next Gen Sequencing) many labs around the world are identifying mutations in candidate genes for a variety of human diseases. However, confirming that a mutation in a candidate gene is either pathogenic or benign is a challenging endeavor. Once developed, the technology could be used to establish collaborations with other academic research groups and study a variety of diseases; alternatively, the technology could also be used to establish a small company, that can offer functional screening of practically any gene mutations. Furthermore, during the MERT Fellowship, I would like to continue my work at the lab bench and I would be interested in teaching basic principles of Genetics, Immunology, Tumor Biology, and Signaling pathways to students in Medicine or Biology.