Illnerová Helena

Prof., RNDr., DrSc.
Born December 28, 1937 in Prague

• Physiology with specialization in chronobiology
• Member of Learned Society since 1994 (Founding member)
• 1994-1996 and 1998-2002, member of LS Council

Educational and professional preparation:

• 1956-1961, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University, chemistry, specializing in biochemistry;
• 1961, graduate chemist; 1967, RNDr.;
• 1961-1965, scholarship stay and post-graduate student, Institute of Physiology CSAS;
• 1965, CSc., biological sciences;
• 1990, DrSc., biological sciences, CSAS;
• 1996, Associate Professor, animal physiology, Faculty of Science, CU;
• 2004, Full Professor

Employment and academic positions:

• AS CR, Institute of Physiology, AS CR

Membership in selected domestic scientific bodies:

• Member, Czech Physiological Society and Czech Endrocrinological Society, Czech Medical Association of J. E. Purkyně;
• until 2001, member, Committee, Society for the Neurosciences in CR

Membership and positions in international organizations and societies:

• Member, Organizational Committee, World Congress of the International Brain Research Organization in Japan 1995
• 1995, Member, Committee, European Pineal and Biological Rhythms Society
• Member, Committee of the Melatonin Club
• Member, Advisory Board of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms
• 2001-2004, Member, Grand Jury for awarding the Descartes Prize
• Member, American Physiological Society
• Member, editorial boards of two international journals
• Member, European Research Advisory Board (EURAB)

Notable awards:

• 1981, Award, Czechoslovak Physiological Society
• 1987, Award, J. E. Purkyně Czech Medical Society
• 1991, Senior Fellowship Award, neurosciences, Fogarty Centre, National Institutes of Health (USA)
• 1995, Silver Memorial Medal, Faculty of Science of CU
• 2000, Membership, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea
• 2002, Medal, SAS Nummum Academiae Memorialem Tribuit
• 2003, Officer, Academic Palm Council, Government of France
• 2004, Medal, J. E. Purkyně Czech Medical Society

Selected publications:

• Illnerová H.: Effect of light on the serotonin content in the pineal gland. Life Sci. 10, Part I, 955-960, 1971
• Illnerová H., Backstrom M., Saaf J., Wetterberg L., Vangbo B.: Melatonin in rat pineal gland and serum; rapid parallel decline after light exposure at night. Neurosci. Lett. 9, 189-193, 1978
• Illnerová H., Vaněček J.: Pineal rhythm in N-acetyltransferase activity in rats under different artificial photoperiods and in natural daylight in the course of a year. Neuroendocrinology 31, 321-326, 1980
• Illnerová H., Vaněček J.: Two-oscillator structure of the pacemaker controlling the circadian rhythm of N-acetyltransferase in the rat pineal gland. J. Comp. Physiol. 145, 539-548, 1982
• Illnerová H., Hoffmann K., Vaněček J.: Adjustment of pineal melatonin and N-acetyltransferase rhythms to change from long to short photo-period in the Djungarian hamster Phodopus sungorus. Neuroendocrinology 38, 226-231, 1984
• Illnerová H.: Circadian rhythms in the mammalian pineal gland. Academia, Prague 1986, pp. 1-91
• Illnerová H., Zvolský P., Vaněček J.: The circadian rhythm in plasma melatonin concentration of the urbanised man: the effect of summer and winter time. Brain Res. 328, 186-189, 1985
• Illnerová H.: The suprachiasmatic nucleus and the rhythmic pineal melatonin production. In: Suprachiasmatic nucleus. The Mind´s Clock (D. C. Klein, R. J. Moore and S. M. Repperts, Eds.). Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford 1991, pp. 197-216
• Sumová A., Trávníčková  Z., Peters  R.,  Schwarz W.  J.,  Illnerová  H.: The  rat suprachiasmatic nucleus is a clock for all seasons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 7754 – 7758, 1995
• Schwartz W. J., de la Iglesia H. O., Zlomanczuk P., Illnerová H.: Encoding L. Quattro  Stagioni  within  the  mammalian  brain:  photoperiodic  orchestration through the supra-chiasmatic nucleus. J. Biol. Rhythms 16, 302-311, 2001