Date and place of birth: 16. 6. 1947, Praha
Education
| 1965-1968 | Charles University (Biochemistry) |
| 1968-1970 | BSc Honours, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom (Physiology and Chemistry) |
| 1971-1974 | Ph.D., Australian National University, The John Curtin School of Medical Research (Thesis on “High Affinity Uptake in Central Nervous Tissue”) |
| 2007 | DSc, The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science (Thesis: “Neurochemistry of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses”) |
Work experience
| 1975-1977 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre de Neurochimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France |
| 1978-1980 | Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter (Forschung), CIBA-GEIGY AG, Basel, Schweiz |
| 1980 | Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter (I.B., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) Abteilung Neurobiologie, Max Planck Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Deutschland |
| 1981-1986 | Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter (I.B., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) Zentrum Anatomie, Universität Göttingen, Deutschland |
| 1986-1987 | Senior Research Officer, Department of Pharmacology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
| 1987-1991 | Research Fellow, Department of Anatomy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
| 1991-1992 | Lecturer (tenured since November 1992), Department of Anatomy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
| 1993-2006 | Senior Lecturer, Department of Anatomy and Histology, The University of Sydney, (on leave Mar 2000 - Jan 2002) |
| 2000-2002 | Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan |
| 2006-2011 | Senior Research Fellow (Honorary), Neuroscience Australia (formerly: Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia |
| 2007-now | Associate Professor, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia |
Main research topics
- Neurochemistry and neurobiology of synaptic transmission
- History and philosophy of neuroscience
Publications
- Over 150 scientific publications in international journals
- 3596 citations
- H-index 29 (Web of Science)
Prizes, scholarships
| 1981 | Fellow of the European Science Foundation, Medical Research Council, Medical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom |
| 1987 | International Society for Neurochemistry Travel Award (11th Biennial Meeting, La Guaira, Venezuela) |
| 1990 | Publication Balcar VJ & Johnston GAR, J Neurochem 19 2657-2666 (1972) rewarded as “Citation Classic” by Institute for Scientific Information, Philadelphia, Pa, USA; commentary by VJ Balcar in Current Contents Life Sciences 33(14) April 2, p. 16, 1990 |
| 1999 | International Fellow of Japanese Society for Promotion of Science (declined in favour of a full-time academic position at Kanazawa University) |
| 2005 | Mobility Fund of the Czech Academy of Science: Collaborative project with Prague Centre of Psychiatry, Czech Republic: “Quinolinic acid, glutamate transport and aetiology of schizophrenia”. |
| 2007 | Mobility Fund of the Czech Academy of Science: Collaborative project with Prague Centre of Psychiatry, Czech Republic: “NMDA receptors and aetiology of mental disease”. |
Membership in national and international scientific societies
| since 1976 | European Society for Neurochemistry |
| since 1979 | International Society for Neurochemistry |
| 1980-1986 | European Neuroscience Association |
| since 1981 | Australian Society for Neurosciences |
| 1986-2000 | Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists |
| since 1991 | Asia-Pacific Neurochemistry Society |
| 1997-2002 | New York Academy of Sciences |
| 2004-2006 | American Society for Cell Science |
Membership in editorial councils of scientific journals
| 2002-2005 | Advisory editorial board: Medical Science Monitor |
| since 2006 | Editor, Neurochemical Research |
| since 2008 | Member of Editorial & Advisory Board: The Open Neuroscience Journal |
| 2009-2016 | Member of Editorial & Advisory Board: Current Neuropharmacology |
| October 2009 | Guest Editor of Special Issue of Neurochemical Research 34 (10) |
Membership and functions in research and administrative councils
| 1981-1986 | Strahlenschutzbeauftragte, Zentrum Anatomie, Göttingen ( 1986 - participated in the radiation monitoring after the Chernobyl incident.) |
| 1991 | Member, Executive of the Local Organizing Committee, International Society for Neurochemistry, 13th Biennial Meeting, Sydney |
| 1992-1993 | Chairman, Research Committee, Dept. of Anatomy |
| 1996 | Member, Library Committee, Faculty of Science |
| 1996-1999 | Member, Assessment Committee, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney |
| 1998-2000 | Member, Animal Ethics Committee, The University of Sydney |
| 1991-now | Co-convener, Anderson Stuart Seminar Series in the Faculty of Medicine |
Pedagogical activity
The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia:
- Neuroscience (3rd year, Undergraduate Medical Course, Tutorials & Exams in Neuroanatomy), Department of Anatomy (1989-1992) and Department of Anatomy and Histology (1993-1999), The University of Sydney
- Pharmacology 3 (Science III, Lecture Course on Neuropeptides), Department of Pharmacology, The University of Sydney, 1989, 1990
- Pharmacology 3 (Pharmacy II, Lecture Course on Neuropeptides), School of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, 1989, 1990
- Anatomy 3 (3rd year, Science III, Tutorials), Department of Anatomy, The University of Sydney, 1990, 1991
- Anatomy 3 (3rd year, Advanced Neuroanatomy Course, 3 - 4 lectures, 1 - 2 essay topics) Department of Anatomy, 1991, 1992
- Anatomy 3 (3rd year, Advanced Neuroanatomy Course, 6 lectures, 2 essay topics) Department of Anatomy and Histology, 1993
- Topographical Anatomy, (1st year Undergraduate Medical Course, Tutorials, Exams), Dept. of Anatomy, 1991 (1 group, 28 hrs), 1992 (1 group, 28 hrs), Dept. of Anatomy and Histology, The University of Sydney, 1993 (2 groups, 56 hrs), 1994 (1 group, 28 hours)
- Anatomy 3 (3rd year, Coordinator of Neuroanatomy component, 20 lectures & 14 tutorials), Department of Anatomy, The University of Sydney, 1992
- Neuroscience (3rd year, B. Med. Sci., 10 lectures, 14 tutorials) Supervisor and organizer of neuroanatomy component from 1993 to 1995), Department of Anatomy and Histology (1993-1999)
- Advanced Neuroscience (co-organizer of the molecular component, B. Med. Sci., 3rd year, 10 lectures on neurochemistry and neuropathology) Department of Anatomy and Histology (1993-1999)
- Human Life Science (B Med Sci, 2nd year, 14 tutorials in Topographical Anatomy), Department of Anatomy and Histology (1999, 2002)
- Head and Neck Anatomy (BMedSci., 3rd year, 14 tutorials) Dept. Anatomy and Histology (1998)
- Graduate Medical Programme (Group Tutor, 1997-1998 Block 4, Cardiology; Theme sessions, Tutor, 1998, 1999 also other tutorials and theme sessions mainly topographical anatomy and neuroanatomy, Lectures on Basal Ganglia, Parkinsonism and Blood Brain Barrier 2002-2013, Block 6, Neuroscience, 2003-2014)
- Concepts in Neuroanatomy 2002-now (Lectures and Tutorials)
- Advanced Neuroscience (8 -10 lectures, molecular component) 2002-now
- BMedSci, 3rd Year Motor & Behaviour, 2006-2014, Coordinator, 8 lectures, all neuroanatomy tutorials
- BMedSci, Cell & Mol. Component, Coordinator 2005-2011
- Neuroanatomy (BMedSci and Science) Lectures & tutorials 2015-now
External courses and lectures:
- Sydney Eye Hospital: Ophthalmic Basic Science Course (Lectures on neurotransmitters and pharmacology of the retina), Save Sight and Eye Health Institute, Sydney Eye Hospital (1991-1998)
- Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia: Neuroanatomy for Chiropractors (Tutorials, 2002-2006, Coordinator, incl. 26 lectures; 2005-2011)
- Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Sydney: Advanced Neuroscience course (2013-2014, Lecturer and Coordinator)
- Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan: Life of the Neuron (One two-hour lecture to international students taking part in a course on Japanese traditional medicine 2000, 2001)
- Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan: Neuroanatomy and Neuropharmacology (seven two-hour lectures to Third Year Pharmacy students, given in English, 2000/2001, 2001/2002)
- Universidad de Buenos Aires: Invited lectures on neurochemistry for graduate students, Mar del Plata, Argentina, November 2010
- Masaryk University, Brno, Czech republic: INNOLEC Lecturership (Adv. Neuroscience lectures to science, medical and psychology students incl. graduates: Oct/Nov 2011; June 2014; July 2016)
Disertations (“Ph.D.”) a diploma thesis (“Honours”):
- Over 20 students at universities in Strasbourg, Göttingen, Sydney a Kanazawa