Personal profile

Prof. Vyacheslav Yurchenko, Ph.D.

Education

Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

Ph.D. with Honours, Biochemistry (1999), Thesis Adviser - Professor Alexander Kolesnikov
Thesis: "Characterization of the minicircle component in Trypanosomatidae"
M. Sc., Molecular Biology (Cum Laude) (1994)
B. Sc., Molecular Biology (Cum Laude) (1993)

Academic positions

Current

University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

Professor, Laboratory of trypanosomatid biology (2019 – present)

Past

University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

Associate professor, Laboratory of molecular protozoology (2016 – 2019)
Assistant professor, Laboratory of molecular protozoology (2013 – 2015)

Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia

Visiting group leader (2018 - 2022)

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA

Visiting faculty, Department of pathology (2015)

Rockefeller University, New York, USA

Adjunct research associate (2012)
Research associate (2008 – 2012)

Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, USA

Research scientist (2007 – 2008)

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA

Research fellow (2004 – 2007)
Post-doctoral research associate (2001 – 2004)

Picower Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, USA

Post-doctoral researcher (1999 – 2001)

Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany

Visiting scientist (1998)

Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

Visiting scientist (1997)

Institute of Parasitology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Visiting scientist (1997)

Industry research and training

Pfizer Inc., New York, NY

Research scientist (2012 – 2013)

Grants and honors

Research grants

Active

Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 24-10009S, "Viruses of trypanosomatids: maintenance and transmission". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2024-12/31/2026.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 23-04769S, "Telomere biology of trypanosomatids: contrasting features point to diverse strategies". PIs V. Yurchenko, J. Fajkus, 01/01/2023-12/31/2025.
Inter-Action-LUASK22, LUASK22033, "Trypanosomatid biochemistry: an insight from the neglected groups". PIs V. Yurchenko, A. Horvath, 07/01/2022–06/30/2025.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 22-01026S, "RNA editing in non-model flagellates". PIs V. Yurchenko, J. Lukeš, 01/01/2022-12/31/2024.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 22-14356S, "Blastocrithidia and Trypanosoma as optimal models for testing the emergence and features of alternative genetic codes". PIs J. Lukeš, V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2022-12/31/2024.

Finished

Aktion Česká republika – Rakousko (Aktion Österreich – Tschechische republik), 96p9, "A survey of Pyrrhocoris apterus parasites in Austria with a focus on monoxenous trypanosomatids". PIs V. Yurchenko, H.-P. Führer, 07/01/2023–12/31/2023.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 21-09283S, "Catalase: to be or not to be in two hosts". PIs V. Yurchenko, J. Lukeš, 01/01/2021-12/31/2023.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 20-07186S, "Trypanosomatids are much more than just trypanosomes: insights from outliers". PIs J. Lukeš, V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2020-12/31/2022.
Aktion Česká republika – Rakousko (Aktion Österreich – Tschechische republik), 92p14, "A survey of Pyrrhocoris apterus parasites in Austria with a focus on monoxenous trypanosomatids". PIs V. Yurchenko, H.-P. Führer, 07/01/2022–12/31/2022.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2022, "Evolutionary genomics of model and non-model species". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2022-12/31/2022.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 20-22689S, "Leishmaniaviruses in trypanosomatids". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2020-12/31/2022.
European Commission Operational Programme Research, Development and Education (Call: Excellent Research), "Centre for research of pathogenicity and virulence of parasites". PIs J. Tachezy, P. Doležal, R. Šuťák, V. Hampl, P. Volf, P. Horák, T. Drmota, J. Lukeš, P. Kopáček, M. Oborník, A. Zíková, Z. Paris, M. Kolisko, M. Eliáš, V. Yurchenko, 03/01/2018-12/31/2022.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2021, "Protist biology: from genomics to function". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2021-12/31/2021.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 18-15962S, "Trypanosomatids with in-frame sense stop codons: dissecting molecular mechanisms behind the unique ambiguity of the genetic code". PIs V. Yurchenko, J. Lukeš, 01/01/2018-12/31/2021.
Russian Science Foundation (RSF), 19-15-00054, "Virulence factors of Leishmania infection". PI V. Yurchenko, 04/01/2019-12/31/2021.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2020, "Biology of protists: modern approaches". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2020-12/31/2020.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2019, "Whole-genome analysis in modern biology". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2019-12/31/2019.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 17-10656S, "Functional genomics of Leishmania virulence". PIs V. Yurchenko, J. Votýpka, 01/01/2017-12/31/2019.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 17-10308S, "Salivary proteins of Sergentomyia schwetzi sand flies". PIs P. Volf, V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2017-12/31/2019.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2018, "Evolutionary and functional genomic in selected biological systems". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2018-12/31/2018.
Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 16-18699S, "Heme: a putative master regulator in trypanosomatids". PIs J. Lukeš, V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2016-12/31/2018.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2017, "Of viruses and men: how post-genome biology can help answering fundamental questions of evolution". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2017-12/31/2017.
Moravskoslezský kraj research initiative, 01211/2016/RRC, "Life Science Research Centre". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2016-11/30/2017.
SYNTHESYS FR-TAF-6423, "Molecular redescription of trypanosomatid species in museum collections". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2017-06/30/2017.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2016, "Virulent factors in Trypanosomatidae ". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2016-12/31/2016.
Bi-lateral Moravskoslezský kraj – People Republic of China research initiative, 1240/1650, "Analysis of virulence factors involved in Leishmania infection". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2015-06/30/2016.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2015, "Evolution of parasitism in Trypanosomatidae". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2015-12/31/2015.
University of Ostrava, SGS/PrF/2014, "Origin of dixenous life cycle in Trypanosomatidae". PI V. Yurchenko, 01/01/2014-12/31/2014.
International Myeloma Foundation, Brian D. Novis Award, “MMSET and epigenetic control in t(4;14) myelomas”, PI V. Yurchenko, 03/01/2010-02/28/2012.
Wendy Will Case Cancer Fund CEN5401091, “Epigenetic control of myelomagenesis”, PI V. Yurchenko, 07/01/2009-02/28/2010.

Awards

University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Dean's Award for Academic Achievements, 2018
University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Dean's Award for Academic Achievements, 2015-2016
Roche Applied Science Transfection Research Award, 2007
Albert Einstein Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Scholar Prize, 2006
AACR – AFLAC Scholar-in-Training Award, 2002

Fellowships and Scholarships

Ruth L. Kirschtein Institutional National Research Service Award (T32 CA09173), 2004 – 2007
International Soros Scientific Foundation (Belgium) pre-doctoral fellowship, 1997-1999
President of the Russian Federation Scholarship, 1998-1999
Moscow State University Academic Excellence Scholarship, 1989-1994

Editorial duties

Ad hoc Reviewer: Acta Parasitologica; Acta Tropica; Annals of System Biology; Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity; Biologia; Biotechnology Advances; BMC Evolutionary Biology; BMC Genomics; Clinical Microbiology and Infection; Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal; Epigenomics; Experimental Parasitology; Expert Review of Proteomics; Folia Parasitologica; Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology; Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology; Frontiers in Immunology; Genes; Genome Biology and Evolution; Infection and Drug Resistance; Infection, Genetics and Evolution; Immunology Letters; Insect Science; International Journal of Molecular Sciences; International Journal of Parasitology; International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife; International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance; ISME Journal; Jacobs Journal of Microbiology and Pathology; Journal of Entomology and Nematology; Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology; Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology; Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases; Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE); Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; Microbial Pathogenesis; Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology; Molecular Biotechnology; Molecules; Nature Communications; Parasite; Parasites & Vectors; Parasitology International; Pathogens; PeerJ; Pharmaceuticals; PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases; PLoS One; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; Protist; Protistology; Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinaria; Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo; Scientific Reports; Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports

Guest Editor: Special Issue of Parasitology "Microbiome of parasites" (2018); Special Issue of Pathogens "Phylogenomics of kinetoplastids" (2021); Special Issue of Frontiers in Microbiology "Symbiosis between protists and bacteria/archaea" (2021); Special Issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease "Feature papers in neglected and emerging tropical disease” (2023); Collection of BMC Genomics "Omics of parasites" (on-going)

Member of the Editorial Board: BMC Genomics (since 2016), Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-Borne Diseases (since 2021), Experimental Parasitology (since 2022), Folia Parasitologica (since 2013), Frontiers in Parasitology (since 2022), International Journal for Parasitology (since 2022), Medical Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases (since 2019), Parasitologia (since 2020), Parasitology Research (since 2022, section Editor since 2022), Pathogens (since 2019), PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (since 2024), PLoS One (since 2015), Protistology (since 2013), Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (since 2019; section Neglected and Emerging Tropical Disease Editor-in-Chief since 2022)

Invited grant reviews

Agence nationale de la recherche, France
European Research Council
Human Frontier Science Program
Israel Science Foundation
Medical Research Council (MRC), UK
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canada
Research Foundation - Flanders (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen, FWO)
Primus-Sci, Czech Republic
University of Strasbourg, France

Grant review panels

Grantová agentura České republiky (GA ČR), 2019 – 2023

Professional societies

International Society of Protistologists (ISOP), 2016–present
Czech Society for Parasitology (CSP), 2015 – present
British Society for Parasitology (BSP), 2014 – present
American Society for Microbiology (ASM), 2018-2023
New York Biotech Association (NYBA), 2012-2013
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), 2012-2013
New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), 2012-2013
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), 2002-2006
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), 2000-2002
American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), 2000-2002
Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), 1994-1999

Conferences co-organized / member of the scientific committee

1st Trypanosomatid Taxonomy, Evolution, Phylogeny and Biology Meeting (TryTax1), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2015.
1st International Conference on Parasitology, Philadelphia, USA, 2015.
2nd Trypanosomatid Taxonomy, Evolution, Phylogeny and Biology Meeting (TryTax2), Ostrava, Czech Republic, 2016 (main organizer).
2nd International Conference on Parasitology, Manchester, UK, 2016.
48th Jirovec’s Protozoological Days, Kunčice pod Ondřejníkem, Czech Republic, 2018.

Publications (statistics)

Number of peer-reviewed publications	182
Number of first-authored publications	23
Number of senior-authored publications	85
H-index (Web of Science)	41

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