People

Prof. PharmDr. Petr Zimčík, Ph.D.

petr.zimcik@faf.cuni.cz
Petr coordinates all the work of his team. He is also trying to do at least something in the lab – synthesis, photophysical and photochemical measurements. The attempts are not always successful, in particular the synthetic ones (Am I old to work in the lab?)

Doc. PharmDr. Veronika Nováková, Ph.D. (SPs-HEAT team leader)

veronika.novakova@faf.cuni.cz
During her PhD, she was doing everything – starting from synthesis ending with liposomes preparation. She is our expert on photochemical and photophysical measurements. She explained phenomenon of ICT, developed fluorescence sensors based on AzaPcs, developed methods for anchoring dyes into liposomes, and has found several synthetic approaches to AzaPcs with complicated synthesis. Curretnly she supervises her SPS-HEAT team focised on the supramolecular assembly of phthalocyanines into J-dimers and the use of this assembly in biological applications. Very recently her team also investigates the possibility of controlling the structure of phthalocyanines by photoswitchable moities.

Doc. PharmDr. Miroslav Miletín, Ph.D.

miroslav.miletin@faf.cuni.cz
Mirek is our oligonucleotide expert. He works on the development of new quenchers of fluoerscence. He prepared also some new delivery systems for photosensitizers (micelles, nanoemulsions, ...). He is also interested in binding of fluorescent AzaPcs to oligonucleotides.

PharmDr. Jiří Demuth, Ph.D. - member of the SPs-HEAT team

jiri.demuth@faf.cuni.cz

Jura´s PhD topic was the synthesis of aza-analogues of phthalocyanines usable as dark quenchers in oligonucleotide probes. Currently he switched to the study of phthalocyanines self-assembling into J-dimers. He is expert in investigation of the assembly through UV/vis and fluorescence measurements. He participates also in project dealing wiht unsymmetrical phthalocyanines for photodynamic therapy.

RNDr. Miloslav Macháček, Ph.D. - member of Molecular and Cellular Toxicity Group, member of the SPs-HEAT team

machamil@faf.cuni.cz

Slávek focused mainly on in vitro and in vivo studies of phthalocyanines and BODIPY dyes for photodynamic therapy. Beside essential characteristics (such as phototoxicity, dark toxicities, subcellular localization), he performs advanced in vitro studies describing the mode of cell death, oxidative stress and effect of photosenzitizers on particular cell organelles. He also workds on light-trigged drug delivery systems that use liposomes as carriers.

Dr. Jibin Alex Abraham, Ph.D.

abrahamji@faf.cuni.cz

Alex focuses his synthetic effort to preapared unsymmetrical ABAC phthalocyanines in a controlled way.

Nidhi Nehra, Ph.D. - member of the SPs-HEAT team

nehran@faf.cuni.cz

Nidhi focuses on synthesis of CO-releasing BODIPY derivatives. She also helps us with synthesis of phthalocyanines and BODIPY dyes for anticancer and antimicrobial PDT. 

MSc. Mary Angelia Alfred

alfredm@faf.cuni.cz

Angelle focuses on synthesis of switchable macrocycles (phthalocyanines, subphthalocyanines and porphyrazines) with sensitive moiety attached in the axial position. She also studies sensitivity and selectivity of target derivatives by the mean of UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Prepared derivatives are designed either as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy or as fluorescence sensors for bioimaging.

Mgr. Jana Lapešová

lapesovja@faf.cuni.cz

Jana is an expert on supramolecular chemistry of cucurbiturils and bambusurils as she defended her Master Thesis at Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic) under the supervision of prof. Vladimir Šindelář, Ph.D. In our group, she decided to dedicate her PhD to devolepment of new switches based on cucurbituril host-guest chemistry.

MSc. Khaoula Lmcharrag

lamchark@faf.cuni.cz

Khaoula studies the supramolecular properties of symmetric phthalocyanines and their nitrogenous analogues.

Mgr. Štefan Bednárik - member of the SPs-HEAT team

bednaris@faf.cuni.cz

Štefan investigates an unique essambly of zinc phthalocyanines and their analogues into J-dimers. He tries to reveal important factors influencing the association constants, e.g. the type of peripehral groups, distance and position of nitrogen coordinating central zinc(II) in J-dimer.

MSc. Leon David Rodrigues - member of the SPs-HEAT team

rodrigule@faf.cuni.cz

Leon focuses on the synthesis of in vitro activatable silicon phthalocyanines and their binding to aptamers. His goal is to develop a highly active and selective photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy of cancer. Furher, he also deals with synthesis of photo-switchable phthalocyanines, a topic that has been of great interrest to us recently.