Participation of TNMU Delegation in the 20th RECOOP Bridges in Life Sciences Conference (Prague, Czech Republic)
The annual RECOOP HST Association conference, the “20th RECOOP Bridges in Life Sciences Conference,” held in early April 2025 in Prague, Czech Republic, gathered experts from the United States, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine.
The delegation from I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University included:
Postgraduate students: Anastasiia Voitovych (Department of Medical Biochemistry) and Mykhailo Buchynskyi (Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology)
Rector, Prof. Mykhailo Korda
Prof. Oksana Shevchuk (Department of Pharmacology with Clinical Pharmacology, Head of the Scientific Project Management Department)
Prof. Olena Venher (Head of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology)
Assoc. Prof. Kateryna Kozak (Department of Pediatrics No. 2)
Assoc. Prof. Taras Piatkovskyi (Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology)
Assoc. Prof. Halyna Loi (Department of Pharmacology with Clinical Pharmacology)
Asst. Prof. Olha Liuta (Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology)
This year’s milestone 20th conference was held for the first time under the leadership of Dr. Robert Gaspar, President of the RECOOP HST Association since 2024. The previous 19 conferences were organized and led by Dr. Sandor G. Vari, the visionary founder of the Association. In his opening keynote “My algorithm at Cedars-RECOOP: 35, 25, 20, and 10”, Dr. Vari reflected on the achievements and development of the RECOOP network. TNMU has been a member of the RECOOP HST Association since October 2019, actively engaging in international collaborations.
The conference covered ten research areas:
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Infections and Immunology
- Cedars–RECOOP Research Centers
- Reproductive Health
- Medical Imaging
- Translational Medical Research
- Clinical Research: Oncology, Quality of Life, etc.
- Drug Development and Effects
- Cardiovascular Diseases & Metabolic Disorders
- Nanomedicine and Safety
In the Infections and Immunology section chaired by Prof. Shubhada Bopegamage and Prof. Andras Guttman, TNMU researchers presented the following:
- Taras Piatkovskyi: “Activity of aqueous ozone against multiresistant isolates and its impact on antibiotic sensitivity in surgical patients”
- Kateryna Kozak: “Genetic variations and inflammatory biomarkers in pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection”, based on RECOOP Grant #030 Fusion Grant 2022–2023.
Prof. Olena Venher and Asst. Prof. Olha Liuta gave a presentation “Comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of combatants with nonpsychotic mental disorders”, highlighting urgent mental health issues among Ukrainian veterans. The talk sparked wide discussion and emphasized the need for further study in this field.
Prof. Oksana Shevchuk presented “Acellular Dermal Matrices in Perspective of Treatment of Chronic Wound: Dry or Wet?”, which gained significant interest for its evidence-based approach to chronic wound care.
In the Drug Development and Effects section, Assoc. Prof. Halyna Loi opened the session with her report “Metformin improves functions of lymphatic endothelium stressed by 5-fluorouracil”, presenting original findings and outlining future research directions.
TNMU representatives not only showcased their scientific achievements but were also invited to chair sessions:
Rector Prof. Mykhailo Korda chaired the session “Cardiovascular Diseases & Metabolic Disorders”
Prof. Oksana Shevchuk, Vice-President of the RECOOP HST Association since 2024, chaired the sessions “Cedars – RECOOP Research Centers (CRRCs)” and “Translational Medical Research (TMR)”
Young TNMU researchers also demonstrated a high level of scientific rigor:
Anastasiia Voitovych: “Potential role of ESM-1, VCAM-1 as markers of endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 patients depending on the comorbidity”
Mykhailo Buchynskyi: “The role of host genetics in modulating COVID-19 response to Paxlovid treatment”
The 20th General Assembly Meeting of the RECOOP HST Association was held during the conference with participation limited to invited representatives. TNMU was represented by Prof. Mykhailo Korda and Prof. Oksana Shevchuk, with the results later shared with all participants.
In addition to TNMU, the conference hosted scientists from leading Ukrainian research institutes and universities, including:
- Palladin Institute of Biochemistry (NAS of Ukraine)
- Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University
- Institute of Cell Biology (NAS of Ukraine)
- Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine (NAS of Ukraine)
As well as colleagues from:
Romania (“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy)
Hungary (University of Szeged, University of Debrecen, Semmelweis University, University of Pécs)
Croatia (University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University of Osijek)
Slovakia (Slovak Medical University, Comenius University in Bratislava)
Poland (Wrocław University of Science and Technology)
Czech Republic (Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, CAS)
We extend our sincere appreciation to the current leadership of the RECOOP HST Association — President Dr. Robert Gaspar, and Vice-Presidents Prof. Oksana Shevchuk and Dr. Tamás Tábi — for the excellent organization of the conference and the opportunity to participate.
- We also express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Sandor G. Vari, whose dedication and vision laid the foundation for RECOOP and continue to support Ukrainian science during challenging times.