Assoc. Prof. Petra Štěrbová, Ph.D.

Research interests

• Development of LC-MS methods for targeted assay of novel drugs and the metabolites in biological materials, stability of drugs/drug candidates in biological environments
• Bioanalysis and bioactivation of novel cardioprotective drugs
• Sample preparation prior LC-MS analysis of drugs - microextractions
• Microsampling in preclinical studies

Education and professional carrier

• Since 2012: associate professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, thesis: High-performance liquid chromatography in the analysis of clinically used drugs and novel drug candidates

• 2004-2012: researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague

• 2005-2011: researcher of the center “Research of new drugs“- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague

• 2001-2006: PhD in Pharmaceutical Analysis - Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, thesis: Analytical evaluation of drugs and drug candidates using HPLC

• 1996-2001: MSc in Pharmacy - Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, thesis: The chromatographic methods in the analysis of drugs

Teaching experience

• Mentor of 1 post-doctoral research associate and 7 PhD students

• Supervisor of 1 Bc. and 30 MS.c theses

• Teaching of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Advanced Pharmaceutical Analysis, Bioanalysis of Drugs, Mass Spectrometry

Grants received (principal investigator)

• 2011-2013: Ministry of Health (NT12403-3/2011): “Pharmaceutical analysis, pharmacokinetics and biotransformation study of novel thiosemicarbazone anticancer agents”

• 2012: Ministry of Education (366/2012): “Innovation and development of instrumental laboratories for drug analysis”

• 2010-2012: Czech Science Foundation, post-doc. project (P206/10P439): “Modern bioanalytical approach to interdisciplinary investigation of bisdioxopiperazine cardioprotective agents”

• 2006: Ministry of Education (1319/2006): “Innovation of the subjects Drug Analysis and Therapeutic Drug

• 2005: Charles University (284/2006): “Pharmaceutical-analytical approach to evaluation of novel drug candidates from the group of iron chelators” of iron chelators”

• 2004: Charles University (395/2004): “Development of HPLC evaluation of novel drug candidates from the group of pyridoxal isonicotinoyl hydrazone analogues and the application to the analysis of biological materials”

• 2004: Ministry of Education (952/2004): “Stability study of pyridoxal isonicotinoyl hydrazone”

Other: Co-investigator-Czech Science Foundation (3x), supervision of 5 student grants of Charles University, University Centre for Research of Toxic and Protective Effects of Drugs on Cardiovascular System

Professional membership

• Czech Society of Mass Spectrometry

Cooperation

• Prof. PharmDr. Tomáš Šimůnek, Ph.D. -  In vitro investigation of metabolism of topoisomerase inhibitors, bioactivation of cardioprotective agents
• Assoc.PharmDr. Jaroslav Roh, Ph.D.  – Chemical synthesis of metabolites

• Assoc. Prof. PharmDr. Martin Štěrba, Ph.D. -  Pharmacokinetics of antracyclines, bioactivation and metabolism of cardioprotective agents, microsampling in preclinical studies

• Prof. Des R. Richardson -  Development of novel thiosemicarbazone anticancer drugs  - pharmacokinetics and biotransformation study

Publications

Author and co-author of 62 articles in international journals with IF; over 1000 citations (Scopus); H-index: 21 (WoS); Co-author of 1 national and 1 PCT patent.

Selected articles (2015-2025):

• Reguli A., Dowlatshah S., Hansen F. A., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Pedersen-Bjergaard S., Volumetric absorptive microsampling and conductive vial electromembrane extraction for the analysis of pharmaceuticals in whole blood. Talanta. 2026; 296: 128523.

• Kubeš J., Karabanovich G., Cong A.T.Q., Melnikova I., Lenčová O., Kollárová P., Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Keresteš V., Applová L., Arrouye L.C.M., Alvey J.R., Paluncic J., Witter T.L., Jirkovská A., Kuneš J., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Austin C.A., Štěrba M., Šimůnek T., Roh J., Schellenberg M.J. Topobexin targets the Topoisomerase II ATPase domain for beta isoform-selective inhibition and anthracycline cardioprotection. Nature Communications. 2025; 16(1): 4928.

• Applová L., Dudášová-Hatoková P., Kubeš J., Váňová N., Keresteš V., Reguli A., Jirkovská A., Roh J., Štěrba M., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Šimůnek T., Daunorubicin and its hydroxy metabolite in cardiomyocytes: insights into cellular kinetics, toxicity, DNA damage, and dexrazoxane‑induced cardioprotection. Archives Toxicology. 2025; 99: 3751–3768.

• Reguli A., Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Lenčová-Popelová O., Petra Kollárová-Brázdová P., Štěrba M., Pedersen-Bjergaard S., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Volumetric absorptive microsampling meets electromembrane extraction for the first time: Case example of doxorubicin and its metabolite in whole blood samples. Analytical Chima Acta. 2025; 1335, 343459.

• Keresteš V., Kubeš J., Applová L., Kollárová P., Lenčová-Popelová O., Melnikova I.., Karabanovich G, Khazeem M.M., Bavlovič-Piskáčková H., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Austin C.A., Roh J,. Štěrba M., Šimůnek T., Jirkovská A.  Exploring the effects of topoisomerase II inhibitor XK469 on anthracycline cardiotoxicity and DNA damage. Toxicological Science. 2024;198(2):288-302.

• Pallabothula V.S.K, Abdalrahman N.T., Mori M., Fekri A.H., Janďourek O., Konečná K,. Paterová P., Novák M., Dudášová-Hatoková P., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Castellano C., Meneghetti F., Villa S., Kuneš J., Juhás M., Zitko J. A hit expansion of 3-benzamidopyrazine-2-carboxamide: Toward inhibitors of prolyl-tRNA synthetase with antimycobacterial aktivity. Archiv der Pharmazie. 2024; 357(8):e2400171.

• Hatokova P., Sestak V, Piskackova HB, Melnikova I, Roh J, Sterbova-Kovarikova P.The UHPLC-UV method applied for the forced degradation study of ixazomib and HRMS identification of its degradation products. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2023, 225:115220.

• Bavlovič Piskáčková H, Nemeškalová A, Sýkora D, Kučera R, Pedersen-Bjergaard, S, Najmanová V, Štěrbová-Kovaříková P, Kuchař M. Advanced microextraction techniques for the analysis of amphetamines in human breast milk and their comparison with conventional methods. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2022; 210: 114549. 

• Kollárová-Brázdová P., Lenčová-Popelová O., Karabanovich G., Kocúrová-Lengvarská J., Kubeš J., Váňová N., Mazurová Y., Adamcová M., Jirkovská A., Holečková M., Šimůnek T., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Roh J., Štěrba M. Prodrug of ICRF-193 provides promising protective effects against chronic anthracycline cardiotoxicity in a rabbit model in vivo. Clinical Science. 2021;  135(15): 1897-1914. 

• Jirkovský E., Jirkovská A., Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Skalická V., Pokorná Z., Karabanovich G., Brázdová P., Kubeš J., Lenčová-Popelová O., Mazurová Y., Adamcová M., Lyon A.R., Roh J., Šimůnek T., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Štěrba M. Clinically translatable prevention of anthracycline cardiotoxicity by dexrazoxane is mediated by topoisomerase IIβ and not metal chelation. Circulation:  Heart Failure. 2021;e008209 

• Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Jansová H., Kubeš J., Karabanovich G., Váňová N., Kollárová-Brázdová P., Melnikova J., Jirkovská A., Lenčová-Popelová O., Chládek J., Roh J., Šimůnek T., Štěrba M., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Development of water-soluble pro-drugs of bisdioxopiperazine topoisomerase IIβ inhibitor ICRF 193 as potential cardioprotective agents against anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Scientific Reports. 2021; 11: 4456.  

• Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Kollárová-Brázdová P., Kučera R., Macháček M., Pedersen-Bjergaard S., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., The electromembrane extraction of pharmaceutical compounds from animal tissues. Analytica. Chimica. Acta. 2021; 1177.  

• Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Øiestad E.L., Váňová N., Lengvarská J., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Pedersen-Bjergaard S. Electromembrane extraction of anthracyclines from plasma: Comparison with conventional extraction techniques. Talanta. 2021; 223: 1-10. 

• Horáček O., Papajová-Janetková M., Grüner B., Lochman L., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Vespalec R., Kučera R. The first chiral HPLC separation of dicarba-nido-undecarborate anions and their chromatographic behavior. Talanta. 2021; 222: 1-9. 

• Kollárová-Brázdová P., Jirkovská A., Karabanovich G., Pokorná Z., Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Jirkovský E., Kubeš J., Lenčová-Popelová O., Mazurová Y., Adamcová M., Skalická V., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Roh J., Šimůnek T., Štěrba M. Investigation of structure-activity relationships of dexrazoxane analogs reveals topoisomerase IIβ interaction as a prerequisite for effective protection against anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2020; 373: 402-415. 

• Reimerová P., Stariat J., Bavlovič Piskáčková H., Jansová H., Roh J., Kalinowski D.S., Macháček M., Šimůnek T., Richardson D.R., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P. Novel SPME fibers based on a plastic support for determination of plasma protein binding of thiosemicarbazone metal chelators: a case example of DpC, an anti-cancer drug that entered clinical trials. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 2019;. doi: 10.1007/s00216-019-01681-w. 

• Reimerová P., Jirkovská A., Bavlovic Piskackova H., Karabanovich G., Roh J., Šimůnek T., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P. UHPLC-MS/MS method for analysis of sobuzoxane, its active form ICRF-154 and metabolite EDTA-diamide and its application to bioactivation study. Scientific Reports. 2019; 9(1):4524 

• Jansová H., Kubeš J., Reimerová P., Štěrbová-Kovaříková P., Roh J., Šimůnek T. 2,6-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde Analogues of the Iron Chelator Salicylaldehyde Isonicotinoyl Hydrazone: Increased Hydrolytic Stability and Cytoprotective Activity against Oxidative Stress. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2018; 31(11):1151-1163. 

• Hrušková K,. Potůčková E., Opálka L., Hergeselová T., Hašková P., Kovaříková P., Šimůnek T., Vávrová K. Structure-Activity Relationships of Nitro-Substituted Aroylhydrazone Iron Chelators with Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2018;31(6):435-446 

• Jirkovský E., Jirkovská A., Bureš J., Chládek J., Lenčová O., Stariat J., Pokorná Z., Karabanovich G., Roh J., Brázdová P., Šimůnek T., Kovaříková P., Štěrba M. Pharmacokinetics of the Cardioprotective Drug Dexrazoxane and Its Active Metabolite ADR-925 with Focus on Cardiomyocytes and the Heart. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2018;364:433-446. 

• Bures J., Jirkovska A., Sestak V., Jansova H., Karabanovich G., Roh J., Sterba M., Simunek T., Kovarikova P. Investigation of novel dexrazoxane analogue JR-311 shows significant cardioprotective effects through topoisomerase IIbeta but not its iron chelating metabolite. Toxicology. 2017;392:1-10. 

• Sestak V., Roh J., Klepalova L., Kovarikova P. A UHPLC-UV-QTOF study on the stability of carfilzomib, a novel proteasome inhibitor, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2016; 124: 365-73 

• Jansová H., Bureš J., Macháček M., Hašková P., Jirkovská A., Roh J., Wang Q., Franz K.J., Kovaříková P., Šimůnek T. Characterization of cytoprotective and toxic properties of iron chelator SIH, prochelator BSIH and their degradation products, Toxicology. 2016; 350-352:15-24 

• Hrušková K., Potůčková E., Hergeselová T., Liptáková L., Hašková P., Mingas P., Kovaříková P., Šimůnek T., Vávrová K. Aroylhydrazone iron chelators: Tuning antioxidant and antiproliferative properties by hydrazide modifications, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2016; 120:97-110 

• Tycova A., Vido M., Kovarikova P., Foret F. Interface-free capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry system with nanospray ionization-Analysis of dexrazoxane in blood plasma, Journal of Chromatography A. 2016; 1466:173-9. 

• Lenčová-Popelová O., Jansová H., Jirkovský E., Bureš J., Jirkovská-Vávrová A., Mazurová Y., Reimerová P., Vostatková L., Adamcová M., Hroch M., Pokorná Z., Kovaříková P., Šimůnek T, Štěrba M. Are cardioprotective effects of NO-releasing drug molsidomine translatable to chronic anthracycline cardiotoxicity settings? Toxicology. 2016; 372:52-63.

• Hašková P., Jansová H., Bureš J., Macháček M., Jirkovská A., Franz K.J., Kovaříková P., Šimůnek T.Cardioprotective effects of iron chelator HAPI and ROS-activated boronate prochelator BHAPI against catecholamine-induced oxidative cellular injury. Toxicology. 2016; 371:17-28. 

• Šesták V., Stariat J., Cermanová J., Potůčková E., Chládek J., Roh J., Bureš J., Jansová H., Průša P., Stěrba M., Mičuda S., Šimůnek T., Kalinowski D. S., Richardson D.R., Kovaříková P. Novel and Potent Anti-Tumor and Anti-Metastatic Di-2-Pyridylketone Thiosemicarbazones Demonstrate Marked Differences in Pharmacology Between the First and Second Generation Lead Agents, Oncotarget. 2015; 6(40):42411-28.

• Potůčková E., Roh J., Macháček M., Sahni S., Stariat J., Šesták V., Jansová H., Hašková P., Jirkovská A., Vávrová K., Kovaříková P., Kalinowski D. S., Richardson D. R., Šimůnek T. In vitro characterization of the pharmacological properties of the anti-cancer chelator, Bp4eT, and ts phase I metabolites, PLoS ONE. 2015; 10(10): e0139929 

• Bureš J., Jansová H., Stariat J., Filipský T., Mladěnka P., Šimůnek T., Kučera R., Klimeš J., Wang Q., Franz K.J., Kovaříková P. LC-UV/MS methods for the analysis of prochelator-boronyl salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (BSIH) and its active chelator salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (SIH). Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2015; 105(1): 55-63.