Institute of Biology and Department of Medical Genetics 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague and General Teaching Hospital
Shortly from the History of the Institute
Institute of Biology of Medical Faculty of Charles University was founded in the year 1911 by professor Vladislav Růžička (1870 - 1934) as a first institute of biology on the medical faculties. Medical students had studied biology on the Faculty of Philosophy until this year. The Institute was placed in the Kaulich house on the Charles Square until the year 1926, than in the building of the Medical School in Kateřinská street. Professor Růžička created the conception of General Biology which included cytology and genetics also.
The second head of the Institute was Professor MUDr. Jan Bělehrádek (1896-1980). His first activity was to move Institute to the new building of Purkyně Institute, Albertov 4. Professor Bělehrádek was the author of the first textbook of General Biology for Medical Students (Prague, 1934) in our country. His so called “Prague school of biology” was based on hierarchy of living systems. Professor Bělehrádek was imprisoned in Terezin during World War II. He built Institute of Biology again in the year 1945, as it was fully destroyed by Nazi. As a rector of Charles University he started teaching activity in a few weeks after the war. Prof. Bělehrádek left our republic in the year 1949 and worked in UNESCO and than in London until his death.
Third head of the Institute, professor MUDr. et RNDr. Bohumil Sekla, DrSc. (1901- 1987) was famous as a brave defender of genetics in the time of Lysenko´s domination. He was the first who initiated education and research in genetics in modern sense in CR after the year 1965. Department of Human and Medical Genetics of the Biological Institute was created in the year 1969 and Department of Medical Genetics of the Teaching Hospital a year later.
Professor MUDr. Otakar Štark, DrSc. (1925-1991) was the head of the Institute in the years 1970-1990. He reached important results in immunogenetics, initiated the first course in Clinical Genetics on Medical Faculties in CR and supported development of Medical Genetics in CR. Associated professor MUDr. František Soukup, CSc., (1933-2000) was the head of the Institute in the years 1990 - 1992. Associated professor MUDr. Jan Kapras, CSc. (1940-2001) was the head since 1993 until his sudden death. Since June 2001, the head of the Institute is Associated professor MUDr. Milada Kohoutová, CSc. Research workers of the Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics are focused on molecular genetics of neoplasias and of inherited diseases, on cytogenetics, on experimental oncogenetics and mapping of the rat genome. They belong to the most productive in the 1st Medical Faculty according to number of published papers and citation index. The development of diagnostic and preventive methods in medical genetics is the matter of interest as well. Department of Medical genetics of the General Teaching Hospital is a part of Institute since January 1st 1998.
