We are pleased to announce that our university will be visited by Prof. Michał Masternak from the University of Central Florida next month, from 12-16 June.
Professor Masternak has been active in scientific research in topics related to the application of genetic research on ageing processes for more than 20 years, and for more than eight years has conducted extended genetic research on head and neck cancer.
The scientist went on a research internship as a post-doc to the USA in 2002, where he received training from Prof. Andrzej Bartke in the field of genetic ageing research.
Since 2011, he has been conducting independent research as an Associate Professor at the second largest university in the United States, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, and is also employed as a Professor at the Medical University of Poznan.
During his career, he has published 114 original research papers, 16 review papers and 5 chapters for books. He currently serves as an editor for 7 scientific journals (all from the Philadelphia list): Gerosciences journal, Journals of Gerontology, Frontiers in Endocrinology, Experimental Gerontology, Aging Pathobiology and Therapeutics, Stem Cells Reviews and Reports and Reports of Practical Oncology and Radiotherapy.
He is also a reviewer on a number of sections reviewing grant projects at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US and serves a 5-year term on one of the panels awarding grants in the field of ageing.
For more than 10 years, he has run a laboratory that has continuous funding from the NIH, Florida Department of Health and other smaller organisations that support basic and clinical research.
Mr Professor will give two open lectures at our university:
13 June (Tuesday) at 10.00 a.m. in the Dean's Office, Traugutta Street, Zabrze, a two-hour lecture entitled: "Biomarkers of Head and Neck Cancer: from Prognostic miRNA Signature to Function".
15 June (Thursday) at 10 a.m. in the Lecture Hall in Zabrze Rokitnica 19 Jordana St. a two-hour lecture entitled: "MicroRNAs as Modulators of Healthy Aging and Longevity: Lessons from Long-lived Mice".
There will also be an opportunity to take part in seminars designed for groups of 3-5 people, which will take place immediately after the lectures.
The lectures and seminars will be attended by SUM researchers as well as our students and PhD students.
There will also be chamber meetings with employees of the Silesian Medical University in Katowice.
For more information about Prof Masternak's visit, please contact Jakub Gomola, an employee of the Technology Transfer Centre - email: jakub.gomola@sum.edu.pl , tel: 32 208 36 40 or directly from the Project Manager Professor Wojciech Ścierski tel: 601 462 056.
The project 'Short non-coding RNAs as biomarkers of cancer and ageing processes: relevance to diagnosis and application to treatment' has been funded by the Upper Silesia-Zagłębi Metropolis under the 'Metropolitan Fund for the Support of Science' Programme 2022-2024.
